Caribbean Fire
by Lady Cerulean
Summary: What will happen when former pirate Commodore Kate Gibson do when she finds herself on the Flying Dutchman? What will occur when a unknown woman is forced onto the Dutchman months after Kates recruitmen? Rated M to be on the safe side
1. Chapter One: Welcome Aboard

This is my second POTC: DMC fic in both my opinion and my dearest friend Captain Davy Jones we both agree it is the better of the two...this is more of a fic concerning Clanker and its set after DMC not sure were its goin yet but I am open to some good twists and ideas...Well enjoy_

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_Chapter One Welcome Aboard!_

"KRAKEN!!!"

The name of the horrid beast rang out as the unfortunate crewman ran from the rail of the _LS Legacy_ the flagship of the only pirate fleet in the Carribean, as a large tentacle appeared over the edge.

Panic filled the air as the pirates rushed about getting some form, any form of weaponry to defend this ship and their lives. And right in the middle giving the orders was the brave Commodore. The long russet hair flipped about, green eyes sparked, and the voice rang out of the female Commodore. Commodore Kate Gibson, the only female Commodore ever to live, let alone command a pirate fleet of 4 ships. Three of which abandoned them when the Kraken struck.

She drew her sword and held a Spanish Pistol in her hand as she started hacking and shooting at the sea slime covered tentacles of the Kraken. Her men followed suite but it seemed more of them were snatched up after one hack. She dodged and fought trying to make her way to were her first mate stood taking aim and shooting with a rifle. But before she could reach him he was snatched like the rest as the beast wailed in anger.

She spun around hearing an agonized scream as her first mate was thrown about and then she saw two very large tentacles raise themselves in the air and start to come down to wrap themselves around her ship as a roar from the Kraken once agian filled her ears. Her eyes widened with horror as she ran up to the helm and brace herself behind the wheel so that when this half of the ship tipped she wouldn't slide to her death as a snack.

The air filled with the sound of splintering wood, panicked screams, and the hungry roar of the beast. A foul smell of rotting flesh and fish filled the air with force less bearable than when first it was smelt. She tried her best not to hurl, she clutched to the wheel as and squeezed her eyes shut praying for a salvation as she listened to the screams her men and the ship made. Something collided with the back of her head and all went black.

_Is this what my end should be?_

Kate blinked her eyes open squinting as she did so as a headache split her senses, fortunately her sight was not hindered. The air was silent not a sound could be heard but the lapping of waves. The part of the deck she was on was at a slight incline and was littered with debris and bodies. She stood up a little tipsily then brushed a fleck of grime from her old navy coat. She picked up her tricorn hat that had fell off her head when she stood up, her sword was at her waist and her pistol lost to the depths she figured. Her shirt was covered in blood and her hair was caked with it as well. All in all she could have looked like a living corpse.

She made her way to each body checking for signs of life, if not finding she said a silent prayer and covered them with the bits of torn sails. As night fell the clouds gathered and split into a raging storm, she cursed silently. Then she jumped right into the broken crows nest and back when a large ship that looked like it was covered in sea life jumped up right next to her shipwreck. She stared gaping at it then rushed off to hide.

She hide in the closet of her cabin her sword at ready in her hand her breathing was rushed and she was sure if anyone was near could hear the drumming of her heart. Her breathe caught as she heard harsh greaty voices out on the deck. She heard something about survivors and search the ship.

She heard the voices fade away and her breathing was less labored, she sighed in relief. After a few minutes she heard footsteps and, wait a minute _chains_? Yes it was indeed chains and they were inside the _cabin_! Her heart jumped inside her when they stopped right in front of her hiding place.

Kate peeked through the hole in the door to be looking into a dark grey eye! Her eyes widened as she took a step backward to put distance between the door and herself. Unfortunately the door was swung open and a _barnacle_ covered hand grabbed her and yanked her forward. She was face to face with some sort of sea monster she figured. He for it appeared to be a he had grey skin, seaweed for hair, and a crescent pastry looking nose.

"What 'ave we here?" he asked his visible eye gleaming. "A young'un it seems-" a string of curses ensued as she broke free by digging her heel into his boot. He swung at her with his ball and chain as she ducked around him just missing her arm.

"Get back 'ere boy!" he yelled.

"I aint a boy!" she retorted from behind a chair.

He came at her swinging. She ducked just as it made impact with the back of the seat snapping it in half and just missing her hat covered head.

"If yer a man yer still a boy!" he hollered seeming to not be able to think of a better reply.

She jumped up looking at the broken chair and then at him.

"I aint either cause Im a _girl!_" she said giving a mock curtsy before dashing for the door.

He stood there blinking a couple of times and then rushed after her swinging his weapon at her legs. Kate fell to the floor hard her legs entangled in the ball and chain. She felt herself being flung up and once again she was face to face with the 'sea monster'.

"A girl eh? Well then lets see what the Captain says with ya," he said walking out the door.

She realized then and there even if she hadn't gotten hindered by the ball and chain, her escape attempt would have been futile. There were at least a dozen more 'sea monsters' milling about. Four other of her crewmen were in a line on their knees quivering like a bunch of wet nosed babies. To think men like that had crewed in her fleet, the thought was sickening. The other 'sea monsters' turned in her and her captors direction.

"Looks like Clanker found another whelp!" a hammerhead shark looking 'monster' said with what sounded like a cheerful mocking tone.

"Aye I did and this ones a girl!" her captor replied, she couldn't tell what his tone was, it was well masked.

She struggled trying to break free but one he was too strong and her legs were still bound tight.

"Save it girl if ye live yer gonna be needen yer strength for workin," he said putting her next to a sniveling crewman and standing behind her like four other 'monsters' did.

"She's a flamin one aint she?" one with a shell on his head more or less stated his voice laced with cruelty.

She knelt there unwavering, unflinching, unafraid, with a look of calm control and defiance, her eyes sparked like green flame as her sticky russet hair whipped in the wind. She didn't even turn her head or make a sound when she heard a steady gait of someone with a peg leg make their way to the little parade of survivors.

She sensed the other 'monsters' fall silent and look upon this thing with respect as he stopped in front of the sniveling whelp beside her.

"Do you fear death?" he asked, her blood turned cold at his voice but her facade never faltered.

"Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare, your sins punished?"

She couldn't stand his sleek, oily words, they were like poison in clean water. "Oh shut it!" she said her tone exasperated.

Her captor behind her smacked the back of her head, and she looked at him agitated. The one beside her snapped his attention along with everyone else to her.

"Who be you unfortunate fool?" he said standing up.

"Me? Your asking me who I am?" she said her tone indignant.

"It sure seems like it Missy!" he slightly hollered his beard of tentacles quivering with fury.

"Well if you must now I am the one and only Commodore Flamin Kate Gibson! The only female Commodore of the only pirate fleet in these waters!" she said her eyes sparking yet again.

"Are ye now former Commodore? I don't see your fleet Miss."

"That's because when yer terrible beastie attacked my flagship the other three took off and what's left of me crew are these snivelers!" she yelled the last of her sentence her eyes shutting for emphasis at her anger.

"Aw Im terrible sorry for you loss...Which is now my gain!!!!" he said laughing.

"Captain!!! A terrible storm be a brewin we should submerge before it hits!!!" the sharkhead spoke up. "Let us deal with these whelps quickly before its to late!!!"

In Kate's opinion she thought this particular 'monster' was rather lacking in brain cells.

"Mister Maccus it appears ye be right! Gents only 1 survivor comes aboard the _Dutchman_, decide who it be amongst yerselves!!!" he said stepping back to observe.

Kate braced herself her eyes never leaving the Captain as she prepared for the 'dark abyss'. She sensed four arms raise ax, or sword in hand and then come down. She squinted hearing the sickening sound of slicing flesh. She thought she was dead.

"Im dead, Im dead, I died, Im dead!" she said rather fast. She peeked opening one eye to still see the octo Captain.

"Oh your still here!" she muttered. "Whoa wait a minute IM NOT DEAD!!!!!" she said as this dawned on her. "What's the catch?" she asked raising a critical russet eyebrow.

"A hundred years before the mast!...Welcome to the crew lass!" he said before walking off and disappearing.

She looked at the deck her lips pursed together her eyes wide, she would have rather died. She felt the chains around her legs being unbound and then she was lifted to her feet. She looked to her captor knowing that he had held her life in his hands and had spared her. His deep grey eye locked with her two green ones for a brief moment, an unreadable expression in both captor and captives eyes.

He grabbed her wrist and started walking, a weird sensation overcame her as she suddenly was aboard the sea creature encrusted ship. He continued to drag her along until he came to a hold and shoved her in. He then locked it and left.

Kate watched him go very perplexed indeed. Why had she been spared of an early death? Why was she cursed to serve on this ship for 100 years!!!!! What had she done to even get here? These rang through her head as she slumped to the floor. She was tired and this seemed like a good time to rest, she would conjure an escape plan later when her brain would function.

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Soooo... how was it? Please review and gentle constructive suggestions please 


	2. Chapter Two: Dice Cast

_Well here is the second chapter ive had this written for a few days but I wanted to wait to get another review or more, but I thought that well maybe your waiting to get into it so here is the next one...And please review I would really really love it if you would, oh and Im looking for good POTC fics so when you review tell me about them if you are writing some I will most deffinitly read them and review._

_Enjoy!__

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Chapter Two Dice Cast_

Kate woke to the clinking of a key in a lock and the door being pushed open. She groggily sat up rubbing her swore neck. The first thing she saw was the ball and chain, she knew who it was even if she didn't know him by name.

"On yer feet!" he said gruffly.

She did so a little tipsy. "All right already!" she said her voice slightly agitated. "So when's orientation?"

He tossed her a bucket and some sort of scraper tool. "Orientation is with the deck! Its your first duty aboard this 'ere ship!"

"Great now Im back to being a deck hand," she grumbled.

"Watch yer mouth missy," he said shoving her along.

"My name is not missy so I would appreciate it if you did not refer to me as so," she said her voice cool.

"Unless yer willin' to part with that information then missy is what I be callin ya!" he said as his ball made contact with her lower back.

Kate bit back a retort as they walked through the hold, she spotted her personal trunk tucked away in a corner. Good it had made it aboard. She would see about getting it back later that day. As they walked up onto the deck she raised her hand as she squinted at the bright sun. She paused for only a second to let her eyes adjust but it must have been too long because he shoved her out onto the deck, she barely missed lacerating her hand on a barnacle.

"Hey what ya do that for?" she snapped as she stood up.

"Yer too slow," he said walking off with a shrug not bothering to see if she was following him or not.

She followed after him her eyes sparking as they bore into his back. "Where am I going to be scrapin?" she asked.

"Just follow and ye'll see," he replied his tone not as gruff as before.

She followed him up to the helm before he stopped and pointed at the railing.

"That's were ye be scrapin' today," he said before walking to the wheel taking his place.

She set to work on the top section of the railing making quick work of the barnacle. The light ones came off easier than the green ones, she figured cause the green ones had been attached longer and needed more preempting. The helm apparently was the quietest place on the ship and she was grateful to not have to worry with her new crew mates. In 2 hours time she had the top of the railing barnacle free, now she just needed to do the rails and the bottom of the top beam.

This was harder to accomplish and at one point her hand slipped and she cut the palm of her hand on a jagged barnacle. She cursed lightly as the crimson blood rushed out. She looked around for a rag before resulting to a strip of her shirt. She didn't have to worry about ripping it cause the same barnacle covered hand was extended in her direction with a rag. She took it and began wrapping her wound.

"Best be careful, those barnacle can bite," he said his back to her.

"I'll keep that in consideration...thank you," she said raising her green eyes to his back.

"For what?"

"Depends really. I could be grateful for the rag or the fact Im stuck on this here ship alive," she explained setting to work on a stubborn barnacle.

"Aye that ye could," he said his voice sounded like there was a slight smile on his face.

They were silent for sometime, as she struggled with the barnacle, both her hands were bloody and raw by the time he spoke again.

"So what be yer name?"

She set her scraper down before replying as she scooped her pile of barnacle into her bucket. "Kate...Kate Gibson, few know me by my full name but that is neither here nor there," she paused. "So what about you, what's yer name?" she asked.

This time he turned to her evaluating his options. He really didn't want to share his name but he had asked of hers and she had replied with out protest, it was only fair to show the same curtsy even if he was a pirate.

"Clanker, me name's Clanker," he said turning back to the wheel.

After that they spoke to each other no more, they both seem content just knowing the others name. At mid-day his shift ended and one with a wheel fused to his back took his place. She continued until dusk on those pesky barnacle that had secured themselves in the crevices, she hated them already and this was only her first session. When she finished she stood up and arched her sore back, she was in need of something to fortify her enough to dim her aches.

She dumped the last of the barnacle over the edge of the ship and with a tip of her hat she left, making her way down to the lower decks. She dropped her bucket with the rest of them and snatched up a wet rag and began wiping away the salt and grime from her face and neck. She scanned the deck looking for something to drink, bottle, flask, anything, she was parched and she would fight to the death for a drink, preferably rum.

It seemed luck was on her side at the moment and she found a half full bottle with rum inside it beside a dozing crew mate. She tipped her head back and took a swig though she never got to swallow it cause she got the begeezers scared from her and the rum came shooting out of her mouth as she yelped. She looked down to see a hand around her ankle and two greyish-blue eyes staring at her with a saddened fury.

"That's mine," he said his voice hoarse and scratchy.

Luck went out the window right then and there.

"Excuse me sir but it was sitting here on the floor with out company, I happened to find it so its mine!" she said yanking her ankle free her eyes sparking and her face set with a harsh expression.

The man shot up so that he was towering a good head above her, but she still clasped the bottle with determination. She was not letting this unknown person take her drink away, she took a few steps back so there was distance between them.

"IT MINE NOW GIVE IT BACK!!!" he yelled with a slight drunken slur.

"Only if ye can catch me!" she said running off in the direction she had come.

He bellowed a string of curses as he began to pursue her, she silently did the same but kept running and dodging around other new crewmates. She eventually came upon a group of her mates playing some game of dice and an idea struck her. She spun around to face him and he collided with her, giving her a mark on her lip. He stared to grab for the bottle but 'Sharky' as she had dubbed him pried them apart. Sharky restrained her while Clanker and a pufferfish looking guy restrained her pursuer.

"What be the cause of this?" Sharky yelled letting her go since she wasn't resisting and walking between the two.

"She stole my rum!" the pursuer bellowed struggling to break free and make a grab at the bottle.

"It was sitting on the floor unattended all by its onsie lookin purrty lonesome, so I did the favor of giving it some company...So its _my _rum!" she said pointing to herself, her hat was crooked she was amazed it hadn't flown off.

A rouse broke out as her former pursuer broke free and was rerestrained and the others hollered for silence.

"If neither of ye can decide it amongst yerselves then ye'll challenge each other to a game of Liars Dice...Agreed?" Maccus she just found out said.

She no doubt was going to back down from this challenge now that her pride was in it as well, and she was good at this game.

"Aye agreed!" she yelled handing the bottle to Maccus. "Were be the die?"

"Slow down missy we have yet to settle the terms," her now challenger said now that he was free.

"Me name is KATE!!! Don't call me missy, Im sick an' tired of being called Miss or missy!!! Get that through yer thick skulls the lot of ye or so help me!" she yelled her face turning red with fury.

"Fine if I Bootstrap loose this game I will not call ye missy and ye can have my rum," Bootstrap said kneeling after being handed his die and cup.

"If I Kate loose then ye can have the rum but ye still have to call me Kate no matter what! Agreed?" she asked her voice calmer as she knelt her die and cup in hand.

"Agreed," he said his eyes locking with hers.

The gathered group grew silent as the two contestants placed their die in the cups and tossed them, then slamming them on the deck. They both looked at their dice secretly. Kate grinned she had a good set, two three's, and four six's.

"Two three's," she bet first.

"Four three's."

"Six three's." she lied, she hopped her eyes didn't betray her.

"Liar." the single word sliced silently through the air.

She cursed inwardly as they both removed their cups. The air filled with jeering laughter as the bottle was handed off to Bootstrap. Bootstrap silently took the bottle and walked off not bothering to rub it in her face. Gathering up her injured pride she walked off in search of her trunk so she could at least brush her blood in crusted hair, leaving the jeering crew to themselves. She was unaware of the silent follower as she made her way into the hold.

She looked around her hands on her hips, her right shoulder of her coat had slide of her shoulder and her hat was still crooked, a very comical sight to the hidden observer. She found her trunk stuck in the corner, she grinned and went to it. Unknown to her it was now someone elses property.

She didn't have a chance to open the lid before she was yanked from behind to once again come face to face with the same grey eye of Clanker. She moaned and closed her eyes and then opened them again.

"What now? Ye have more barnacle fer me?" she asked her eyes semi-slits and her voice laced with agitated desperation. All the poor girl wanted was her brush.

"No...no barnacle, just that, that there trunk and the contents are now my property," he explained cooly after letting her go.

She pressed her hands to her face and sighed, she then pulled her hands down her face and widening her eyes. This was not her night, first rum and now her trunk of her personal things.

"What do I have to do to relieve you of that trunk?" she asked desperately.

Clanker grinned evilly as he crossed his arms hearing her desperation. She moaned seeing his expression. Just then they both turned their heads upon hearing the steady gait of the Captain. Her anger boiled hearing it as it neared their location. Her face hardened into a scowl as he entered the hold.

"What have we here?" he said his voice light.

"She be wantin her trunk Captain," Clanker replied standing straighter she noted, odd she wondered why as she shot him a look before turning back to the Captain.

The Captain grinned with a evilish glint in his eyes. "Challenge her," he simply stated.

"She aint got nothin to wager sir," Clanker replied.

The Captain locked his gaze on her. "Are ye untouched?"

Her eyes widened with shock at his blunt question, she knew what he ment. "W-Why does it matter?" she stuttered out.

"Ye can wager yerself fer the trunk, whether ye be untouched or not so it really don't matter Miss," he explained as if it were something as minor as a bottle of rum, how ironic.

She pointed to herself her eyes huge and her movements indignant as she looked at the Captain to Clanker seeing if he would offer any help, he didn't he just shrugged and looked her up and down, noticing that her shirt shoulder had slid off revealing some skin. She followed his gaze and glared pulling her shirt up and wrapping her coat tightly around her.

"Uh uh no Im not gonna do it, it aint worth enough to risk losing," she said her voice not as sure footed as she had hoped.

"What a former Commodore afraid of a little challenge?" Jones scoffed. "I can hear it know fearless Flamin Kate is not as fearless as she seems because she wont play a game of Liar's Dice with her own crew mate!" he laughed spreading his arms out, Clanker followed suit just without the outstretched arms.

_Blow me over that rotten man!_ She thought to herself as she glared at them as her pride began to get in the way. She stood there contemplating as she got sick and tired of the both of them, she would show them that she wasn't afraid, she would show them she could risk her honor and still win, by golly gee she would do it!

She stomped past them and out into the open air, they both took this as her consent, the Captain followed suit leaving Clanker to nab the trunk in a hurry and follow after them.

"GENTS GATHER 'ROUND!!" Jones called. "We have a challenge, grab some seats and a board!"

After the makeshift table was in place, the two contestants facing each other, and the crew crammed together for a view did Jones speak again.

"The stakes?" he asked them already knowing.

Kate secured the gold buttons on her coat before speaking, well at least she tried to speak, she gulped her nervousness visible. She couldn't speak her voice wouldn't work, after a while the crew seemed to get it and broke out in evil laughter and began saying lewd remarks.

"Fine alright, if I loose he gets me!" she yelled her voice wounded fury. "Now are ye happy?"

"And if you win you get your trunk back," Clanker said, his face was covered in shadow giving it a strange effect that sent chills up her spine.

"Do ye agree to these terms?" Jones asked.

Both faces became resolved with a cold, set expression as they placed their hands on their hips as they took their seats while answering.

"Agreed."

One set of dice along with a cup were placed in front of each of them. They placed their die into the cups their eyes never leaving the other as they shook the cups and slammed them upside down on the table top. Only did they look away from each other long enough to glance at their die.

Kate had four two's and two five's. She awaited Clankers bet.

"Three two's," he said his voice calm and cool.

"Seven two's," she replied her voice smooth and collected.

"Nine two's," he bluffed.

Kate studied his face looking for any sign of a lie. She almost didn't see past his calm facade but she saw it, his expression in his grey eye betrayed him.

"Liar," she said a smile creeping to her face.

She grinned even bigger when his shoulders slumped and he removed his cup as she did hers. He had only three two's and three four's. The crew moaned at his loss but he stood up and extended his hand to congratulate her. She shook it happily, then she picked up her trunk and went in search of a quite corner where she could work out the bloody knots...literally. And this time she was not followed by anyone.

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Yes there was a tiny reference to you know what but I couldnt think of anything else and if it offended anyone my sincerest apologies. Im hoping in future chapters there wont be any of that but if there is then it will on be very very brief. So do I have the characters in character? And what is your view on Kate? Please tell me along with some other fics aswell.

Toodles


	3. Chapter Three: Impertinance

Hi sorry for the long update things have been exceedingly busy around here lately...but the good news is I've got chap 4 almost done so...yippy skippy

Disclaimer: I only own Kate and her part in POTC DMC sadly I dont own Clanker or Davy...but I do own Clankers heart YAY!!! oh and Davy's hat but dont tell him...anyway I shall quite boring you with my drivel

ENJOY!!!

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_Chapter Three Impertinence _

The next morning Kate woke up to the sound of a snore jumping loudly. She tried to smoother the sound with her hat but gave up and went on deck. The sky was just beginning to turn pink as the sun rose and it was speckled with white clouds. She stretched and then went off in search of a bucket and scraper. No sense in being caught idle and the only thing she had been instructed to do was to get rid of the barnacles. She continued at the helm scraping the pesky varmints off the wooden planks.

She had been humming to herself when someone tapped her one the back, she looked up to see Bootstrap. He was holding some jerky looking meat and a mug, he handed them to her when she stood up, she took it gratefully.

"Thanks," she said tipping the cup in his direction as she propped herself on the railing.

"Tis no problem, ye be needin somethin to fortify yer'self for the work," he said taking a seat beside her.

"Aye that be true I wager," she said taking a swig from the mug. The contents sent tingling fortifying sensations from the tip of her head to the tip of her toes, this stuff would come in useful.

"I'm sorry mate but I fergot yer name," he admitted sheepishly.

She looked at him, he looked like he was shaking a hangover off and she figured why he had forgotten.

"Kate," she said absentmindedly.

When he didn't answer she looked at him, his face was pained and sorrow filled.

"Short fer Catherine I suppose?" he said looking her in the eyes with a pained expression.

"No not Catherine," she said shaking her head as her russet hair bounced.

"Oh," his voice seemed to be relieved and yet filled with sorrow, an interesting combination she wondered the reason.

"So tell me what be the story o' this 'ere ship and the people aboard?" she asked.

He looked at her his face with shocked, bewilderment. "Ye gotta to be kiddin mate, ye don't know about the _Dutchman_ and its cursed Captain and crew?"

"Aye that what I be sayin it seems," she replied her voice wary.

"So it seems," he said before telling her. "Well I'm the newest member in nigh a decade, well I'm not anymore because yer here. But I gather this cursed ship has been sailin these waters fer nigh 50, 60 years at least. All the crewmembers here are the original crewman from before Jones carved 'im 'eart out.-"

"HE WHAT?" Kate asked shocked.

"He carved his heart out to get rid of the pain of love," Bootstrap explained.

Dawning crossed Kate's face when he said this. "So what's the difference between a crewman that swears an oath and a crewman that has been here since before the curse?" Kate asked.

"Well the oath givers fulfill their oath whatever allotment of time they swore and then their time aboard this ship is ended and they are free."

"And the ones that were here before the curse?"

"Fer as long as the curse remains."

"So pretty much potential eternity?"

"Aye," Bootstrap said.

Kate grimaced at these words. "Sounds like a bad lot in life."

Bootstrap stood up and took the empty mug from Kate.

"Ye best not be caught idlin' Kate, the mornin' post will be switchin soon, and then ye might not be a so fortunate as ye were now," Bootstrap advised.

Kate took his advice and went back to scraping the barnacles. This morning Clanker didn't take Wheelback's place, she was slightly disappointed that she didn't have a chance to talk to him but she would live.

At mid-day Bootstrap came to her again.

"Maccus says yer to help hauling the sails, " he said before walking off without waiting for her to follow.

Kate followed after Bootstrap, he directed her to a rope that Koleniko and Oglivey were hauling, they put her in the front.

Koleniko and Oglivey looked at each other as they pretty much made Kate do all the hauling they knew that if they let go she would be pulled up by the rope. As if on que they let go of the rope.

Kate went flying up with the rope unable to haul the weight of the sail.

Clanker, Maccus and Hadras were knocked off of the mast as the sail unfurled. The rope let a jerk and Kate fell of the rope and fell to the deck.

Jimmylegs saw this and yelled at Palifico and Wheelback "Haul that wench to her feet."

Kate was roughly hauled up by the shoulders and neck and tied her to the mast

"This will remind you to stay on your unkers!!" She heard Jimmylegs yell as they ripped away her shirt to reveal her smooth back. She heard some remarks from the crew as she gritted her teeth. Fortunately they hadn't tied the rope to tight and she broke free.

Kate wrestled herself out of their grasps, including dishing out a few punches, then she turned on Jimmylegs, swinging at him. "I didn't do nothin they let the rope go!" she yelled in fury.

Jimmylegs growled as he dodged and then brought the whip down. It wrapped around her arm and she yelped but yanked it from him, death in her green eyes. The two faced off for a fight, Jimmylegs was hunched down ready to strike like a venomous snake, Kate had her fists up in front of her face her ripped shirt fluttering to reveal more smooth skin, this made the crew holler louder.

"This is insubordination wench, if da crew weren't so hungry fer a fight and a sight o' ye, ye'd be a gittin yer lashin' now. But I ain't one to deny da crew some fun. So by da time dis is over ye'll be endin up wif double da lashin's," he hissed with a cruel smile on his face.

She snapped, she rushed at him going for an upper-cut to his jaw, she however missed because he dodged and grabbed her, swinging her to the barnacle covered deck. She received some gashes but nothing she couldn't handle.

Clanker watched next to his mate Hadras who was cheering jubilantly at the sight of a half covered wench taking on Jimmylegs, the Dutchman's cruel Bos'un. Clanker however was silent observing her tactics and how she reacted to certain jibs and such. He respected the girl even if she was just a wench, she had earned it after the game last night.

Kate landed a few punches to the Bos'un's face and gut, but she ended up with more. He was relentless and packed a hard bunch. She had blood running from her nose and her sight was wavering. She rammed into him continuously punching him in the gut. He just seemed to take it like he had no pain at all and when he could tell she used her minor reserve he would start pounding on her. Tossing her across the deck, ramming his elbow into her back, making her turn completely purple. And that was only in a minute, that's when the Captain broke it up.

"What's goin on 'ere?" Jones demanded.

Jimmylegs pointed at her and replied. "The wench attacked me fer no reason sir! She grabbed me whip and started to cause a ruckus. That's when I took the whip from 'er and she started ta beat on me," Jimmylegs lied.

Kate glared at the Bo'sun unafraid of the consequences that would come. "Curse yer eyes to the depths of hell!" she hollered as she spit at his feet.

The air seemed so thick with tension that one could cut it with a knife, everyone stood silent and attentive to see what would happen next. Well almost everyone, Kate was trying to break free from Koleniko who had taken the liberty to restrain her, and it wasn't a normal restrain, it was suggestive to boot!! This made Kate all the more furious.

"Bo'sun what do ye think the proper punishment for insubordination should be?" Jones asked staring Kate in the eyes with a hard, cruel, gleam in his eyes.

"50 lashes sir," Jimmylegs replied with devious glee.

Jones retrieved the discarded whip and placed it in Jimmyleg's greedy hands. "Then 50 lashes it is," he said nodding to Koleniko who hauled Kate to the mast and bound her wrist so tight that the rope dug into her skin, this would be painful.

"This is to remind ye ta know yer place," Jones said giving the Bo'sun the go.

Clanker winced as the first lash cracked through the air, slicing her flesh from her back, he thought he could see bone. He knew this would be one of the most horrific events he would witness on her account.

Kate arched her back, and her face filled with agony as the whip came down on her a second time. Her body protest loudly as it exploded in pain, she bit back a yelp, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of hearing her pain.

Jones watched as the lashes crashed down on her back one after the other. She never made a sound not until the 25th did she scream in pain and agony before her body went limp. He felt his face twitch with agony as he watched her receive her punishment, but it had to be carried out or she would not learn her place. Her back was hardly recognizable as the last lash cracked wrapping around her waist for the odd numbered time.

"Take 'er below," Jones said walking away to his cabin.

It pained him to see her limp body covered in gashes and blood. She was too beautiful for that and it was a shame. But why should he care? She was nothing but a woman!!!

"She's only a woman," he told himself as he sat down.

He didn't want to admit it but he had been impressed that she had only screamed once before passing out. Not many of the men aboard could manage that.

Clanker was the first to move to Kate's unconscious body. He gently untied her hands and eased her to the ground. Her face was covered in sweat, slashes, and blood. Her hair was pasted to her face in thin webs of hair and blood. He gently picked her up bridal style, careful of her wounds. Her limp body seemed to fit perfectly into his arms, he shook his head as he carried her down into the hold.

"She's only a woman," he mumbled as he gently laid her down on a hammock.

The hard part would be tending to her wounds, he felt awkward about it. It had been ages since he had seen a woman with her top off. He gently took the thing you could hardly call a shirt anymore off and let it drop to the ground. He winced at all the gashes, blood, and stripes of ripped away flesh. He placed a blanket over her as he went off to get the needed supplies.

Once he came back he set to work on cleaning her face. Even in her painful, unconscious state she looked peaceful. Just like his wife had so many years ago in her sleep, he caught himself gently caressing her cheek and mentally smacked himself. He gently rolled her over so he could tend to her back. When he started to clean it Kate woke up with a yelp.

"Oi lay still," he said gruffly.

Kate twisted her head back to look at him and then regretted it, not only did her body protest but Clanker shot her a glare. She glared back before resting her head on her hands biting her lip to keep from making noise as her body exploded in pain.

As Clanker inspected the wounds further he saw that they would need to be stitched up. He wished she hadn't woken up, this would hurt.

"I'm gonna have ter stitch yer back up, its gonna hurt bloody bad," he warned her as he threaded the needle with strong string.

Kate didn't say a word just simply nodded and braced herself. When he started to sew her back up she bit back a scream as her body protested. She buried her head in her arms as he worked being as gentle as he could. She eventually started to shed tears, though no one ever saw them.

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Only a woman PAH!!! Admit it ye both have somethin fer the girl!!!! They do they just wont admitt it...anyway was it good? Bad? Or horrible? 


	4. Chapter Four: Not My Name

Hehe next chappie...im at a loss for the next one though...filler nothing special about it though...Oh and I changed it...It takes place DURING DMC not after the sequel will be during AWE

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_Chapter Four: Not My Name_

_Three Weeks Later_

Kate looked up at the unforgiving sun pushing her russet bangs out of her face, her green eyes squinted in the bright light. Kate's face was still webbed by the cuts she had received three weeks ago from her flogging, but they were nigh healed now due to the medicine Clanker had provided her with. Her back was in ship shape condition as well. She had been told they were healing nicely and only pale scars would remain.

Most of the crew still ignored her, but she could tell they no longer looked at her as a weak woman that couldn't handle the hard life. No they looked at her with respect and probably something else too boot but she didn't dwell on that part. How much could you expect from a crew of cursed men when you were the only woman? They were still human, just as much as she was.

Her duties as deck hand had been broadened by her overseer. As was the structure of the Dutchman whoever had taken captive the captee they become the person the captee answers to along with the Bo'sun unless the captain steps in and takes charge of the situation. Well her overseer was of course Clanker so she had to answer to him on a daily basis for duties and so forth. But back to her duties, anyway she not only scrapped away at the never ending supply of barnacles but she also scrubbed the deck and mopped the hold.

She was a dutiful worker and for that Mr. Legs as such she refereed the Bo'sun as never liked that very much. Why? Well he never got to tare the flesh off her back as much as he had hoped. But even he couldn't deny how rare it was for a person to do their duties well done under the critical eyes of those who wished her failure.

Kate learned to stay well enough away from the other crew members, it kept her out of trouble. The only people she ever did talk to was Clanker who was only when the need be, and Bill who had become her companion. Though they hadn't yet learned everything about the other they seemed content in their friendship to just make idle chatter or Bill would assist her with getting familiar with the Dutchman.

She hadn't even really had a run in with the Captain. Which was quiet the relief to both deck hand and Captain. Kate had hardly even seen him in the past three weeks as well. All she did hear of him was his organ that boomed every evening and storm. Sometimes his never ending playing would drive her nigh mad, but other times it just helped calm her frazzled, sun baked nerves. It was one such day that the music did not tend to soothing her nerves, which would make for some trouble later on she would discover. Not only was it not soothing them but hurting them as well.

She knew the song, and knew it well. It was the thing that had inspired her most to become a sailor as a young girl. You see her village was situated on the rocky cliffs of the coast of Ireland. And on nights when it was dead silent she could hear that song, sometimes ever so faint and others as if the creator of the music were beside her. It was always the windy nights with the wind from the west. It always seemed to push her in the direction of the song, and one night she had written lyrics for it. As he played it now they came back to her as clear as the time she first sang them. But it didn't bring happiness and peace it brought back pain, sorrow, anger, loss, memories she had wanted to forget now they came crashing down on her with a strength that no one thought possible. She was powerless against her voice that wanted to sing the haunting lyrics to the melody of sorrow and pain and she couldn't help it. Before she could even control what her voice was doing she began to sing softly.

"_Over the crashing waves,_

_Over the endless depths,_

_I hear your song,_

_Your song so illusive, so faint,_

_It beckons' me into your arms,_

_Your warm embrace of love"_

What Kate didn't know was that she had written the song so accurate to the events and the fact that the Captain could hear her at all times. What she did notice was that as she sang the organ played harder with more passion, pain, and emotion than before. Another thing she failed to note was that her voice was raising and they crew had stopped to listen to her.

"_When I opened the door,_

_you were not there,_

_When I called your name,_

_you did not answer,_

_On the table I found a note,_

_A note of bitter farewell."_

Clanker stood there flabbergasted, she had an amazing voice for a girl that could be so bold and harsh and then turn around and sing like a lark.

"_You said we could not be,_

_that we were not destined to be,_

_That you a maiden of the Land,_

_Could not be with a man of the Sea,_

_Now my heart it aches for you,_

_Now my mind it hates after you."_

At this part the emotions of the song were Kate's own, though she had never experienced the betrayal as the person in the song had, she herself had been betrayed some years prior and 6 years after she wrote the lyrics.

"_My mind screams for vengeance,_

_My mind screams for hate,_

_My mind demands the pain given in return,_

_For the pain that you caused me,_

_My heart screams for forgiveness,_

_My heart screams for mercy,_

_My heart demands love given in return,_

_For the love that you denied me,"_

As she sang this part the organ sounded as if it were figuratively speaking bleeding at the pain, the loss, the hate, the desire of revenge and then the wanting to forgive, to forget, it was too much for the crew to listen to and not wince and stand there like a bunch of awe struck gaping fools. She put so much emotion into the song making it sound as it had been her personal experience.

"_The pain is too great,_

_I cannot bear it any longer,_

_I carve my heart out,_

_To forget the pain,_

_Here it lies in the chest,_

_Beating on its own,_

_Away from whom it belongs,_

_Here am I, _

_On my own,_

_Away from the one whom I truly belong"_

The organ stopped abruptly as she began the first part of the stanza, but Kate had failed to pay attention to that and had kept on singing ocaplela. When she finished she heard the steady rhythm of the Captains gait and released what she had done by singing that, she had exposed something she had wanted hidden ever since she had made the connection of the song he played and the song she had heard as a young girl.

And before she could even blink Jones was out of the cabin and headed for her. Kate stared up at him feeling slightly intimidated but she glared up at him none the less. There was a silent communication between the two and before she could blink yet again he shot his hand out for her arm and dragged her to his cabin and tossed her in.

"Whot was that ye were singin?" He asked harshly.

"None o' ye're darn business," she said from her spot on the floor.

He glared down at her, his electric blue eyes full of scorn. "Tis not whot it sounded like," he said calmly though his eyes betrayed his immense anger. "Ye had better tell me everything concerning those words NOW!!!"

"Why? And tell ye somethin I don't want ye ter now?" Kate asked standing up and glaring at him.

He shot his claw out to her throat and secured it firmly around her neck. "Ye had best speak up lassie other wise ye'll be Headless Kate frem now on," he replied.

He wasn't putting any pressure on her neck so she didn't panic but she took him seriously. She grudgingly gave in. "If ye let me neck go then I'd be much obliged I'm not going anywhere," she replied coolly.

Jones saw in her eyes that she had not intentions of not telling him, so he let go and went to his organ bench and sat down facing her. "Now expound," he said curtly.

"I wrote them," she said simply.

"Expound mean's to go into detail, if you don't want te loose ye're head ye better do so," Jones said not pleased with her answer.

"Fine I'll tell ye about what inspired it if ye will," Kate paused, she would have to go into her past and tell some personal things. "My village in Ireland was on the coast, a year after my grandfather died I would regularly stand at the top off the cliff that stood out over the crashing waves, well one night about the middle of the month I heard a tune," Kate paused watching his face which twitched lightly.

"I went to that cliff every night and heard the song in differing degrees of being able to hear it. Every time I heard it I wanted to find the source of the music, but I was unfit to go to sea, so as a couple more years passed my longing for the sea grew until I finally set sail and wrote those lyrics," Kate explained.

"That really doesn't answer my question, how did you come up with the contents of the song?" Jones asked.

"I listened, I felt the emotions in the music, I understood it," Kate answered.

"Did ye know ye had the accounting accurate?" Jones asked looking away.

"What do you mean?" Kate was confused now, she had only been on here for four months and he was...what was he doing? Opening up about something? She had a feeling this wasn't normal for him.

"I mean that's what happened-uh" he said his accent emphizing his last word.

Kate was uncomfortable now. "I uh er no I didn't think it an actual occurance, the lyrics were carried on the wings of the song all I did was write them down...Its yer past?" she asked grasping the situation.

He nodded his head.

"Oh..." Kate blinked this was odd indeed. "I er I apologize I um never uh meant any harm...excuse me" she said dashing out of the room.

Jones didn't stop her, he had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. "She is only a woman Jones keep that in mind...only a woman."

But he found it hard to keep her off his mind, she had been plaguing his thoughts ever since she was kneeling on the deck of her broken ship. Her eyes blazing like green fire staring up at him with calm defiance and irritation. He couldn't find it easy to be constantly bearing down on her when she did her work to its best and she kept out of trouble for the most part. She had learned fast with the one lashing that she didn't want one agian.

And the fact that before she got here, the fact that she had been a Commodore of a pirate fleet, the fact that she was Irish a neighboring country to his homeland even if they were enemies She handled herself with dignity, grace, and a calmness that was not normal for a woman in her situation. And yet she was like a wild fire, no boundaries, no limits, fearless, unwavering, dangerous and magnificent at once. Definitely one to have on your side and not against you. She was a cunning lass to be sure...but there was also a softness, the vulnerable side, he had only seen to glimpses of this, one when he made her wager for her against Clanker, and then when she was limp on the deck for the last of her punishment. She was the very image of a woman to be admired, and though he would never tell a single soul he did admire her. A weak grin crossed his face as he sat down to his organ.

When Kate walked out of the cabin adjusting her coat, she didn't get far before Clanker walked up to her.

"What now?" she asked looking at him agigtatedly her hand on her hip.

"What was that fer?" he questioned.

"What do ye mean?"

"Ye know what I mean why did he want ye in the cabin? Ye were in there fer quiet some time," he said his voice stern.

"I still don't get yer meanin sir," she replied looking at him confused.

He grabbed her by her shoulders not believing her. "Ye were adjustin yer coat when ye came out o' there...now what am I ter think?"

Kate looked appalled "Get a grip Clanker just because I'm fixin me coat doesn't mean it came off!!! I have enough decency and even if it did whats the point on ye questionin me bout it?"

Clanker's eyes hardened "Cause yer my charge and I want ter know if ye get inter trouble or not...I ain't gonna allow a woman ter do that...it ain't right and ye need accountability."

"I NEVER SAID I DID ANYTHING!!!! He just asked me a few questions about the song I sang...gosh and Im not accountable to ye even if ye are my overseer" She said her eyes burning with green fire as she yanked herself free.

Clanker stared at her. "AMY YE SAID SOMETHIN TO HIM!!!" he realised what he had done...he had just called the woman before him by his late wife's name. He quickly walked away leaving a stunned Kate choking back tears.

Kate stood there unsure what to do...all in all she was spooked. Who was Amy? And why had he called her that? She went down into the hold pondering this.

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sniffles poor clankie...he just did something he would have never done...crys 

good chap? bad chap? what chap? R&R


	5. Chapter Five: Hadras

Okay finally I got this chapter done I had to restart it cause it went sooooooo far and beyond were I wanted it to go, so instead of putting more angst I decided on humor a little Hadras humor...oh the idea for the Saxons and Bunnies in here goes to mine, Bree's and Fly Like a Blueberry Pie's inside joke on our proboard so Luthy this chapter is dedicated to you LURV YA MATE!!!

Disclaimer: (figured i should put one in here) I dont own POTC Charries or the Bunnies and Saxons I do own Kate and the composition of this chap

Enjoy!!

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_Chapter Five Hadras_

When Kate walked into the hold she sought Bootstrap out. She was perplexed by Clankers name that he called her, maybe Bill knew who Amy was. When Bill saw her he smiled.

"Ello lass ye look like ye been spooked by a ghost or somethin," He said to her light heartedly. "What be the problem? I 'eard yer overseer yellin somethin but I couldn't make out what,"

Kate sat down on the edge of a hammock swinging back and forth. "I don't know really Jones wanted to talk to me about a song that I sang and I was in there for a while and when I came out he was all upset and demanding what happened…I think he thought Jones tried to pull something," Kate explained.

"Did he?"

"No! Why the heck would he?" Kate demanded getting defensive for her Captain. It wasn't the fact she liked him, she was a loyal sailor to her commanding officers even if she didn't know the man very well or get along with him that much.

"Im surprised he didn't….Im stunned that no one has attempted te anyways since yer the first woman they've seen in Devil knows how long," Bill said leaning against his mop.

"If anyone did there wouldn't be much left of their insides," Kate replied knowing very well that when she was faced with that situation she completely froze in fear.

"Im sure ye would see very well te that along with a few helpin hands such as mine and yer overseer's. Frem what I ken gather he is actually concerned about yer well fair, more so since yer twos dice game and Jones made the wages, Clankers the honorable type he don't take to kindly to men usin women fer their own uses," Bill explained, he wasn't a friend of Clankers but he had gathered what he knew of the man from the way he conducted himself.

Kate looked thoughtful. "Why? He shouldn't bother himself with me, Im just a woman nothin more nothin less, nothin special. If he knew more about me he wouldn't be."

"Eh he's a hard one to understand where he's comin frem only his best mate Hadras knows some minor thing's bout 'im. But yer a woman and that means somethin te him anyway. Why else do ye think he spared yer life when with any other crewmen you would be swimin in the deep," Bill asked.

"That's what I don't have an answer to, Im completely perplexed by it, I don't know if I should even attempt an escape because of not knowing." Kate answered.

At the mention of the word escape Bill's eyes grew wide, "Now lass be careful where ye say such things even the walls manage to have ears," he cautioned "As fer the escapin don't get caught is me only advise,"

Kate was was silent for some time before speaking again. "He called me Amy…..do ye know why? And who she is?"

Bill shook his head. "Nay I don't know much bout 'im ye could as Hadras but then again he very well wouldn't tell ye since their mates and a mate don't tell another person their mates personal life," Bill explained.

"That what it means te have one, ye place yer confidence in them when ye tell 'em things of personal issues and they keep their mouth shut," Kate replied.

"Aye that what it be," Bill replied.

At that moment they heard a shriek come from down the hall in the hold, Kate looked at Bill and Bill looked at her. Kate went and investigated. She found Hadras on his hands and knees, his visible eye huge his mouth open as he inhaled heavily. Now Kate and Hadras had acknowledged each others presence specially when either one of them had been talking to Clanker. They worked side by side from a day to day basis being deck hands so Kate wasn't reluctant to kneel beside Hadras' panicky form to calm the poor man.

"Ye alright mate?" Kate question resting her hand on his shoulder

Hadras flenched and screeched backing away like a frightened dog, yelling something in Cantonese.

Kate placed her fists on her hips looking at him. "What in the name is wrong wit ye? Yer acting like a crazed pup!"

He glowered at her yelling some more in his native tongue.

"I aint gonna hurt ye mate ye ken trust me I promise I wont bite ye," she said sitting down on her rear criss cross.

This seemed to calm the man down a bit and he didn't look so frightened anymore. "Sorry" he mumbled

"Another bad dream?" Kate questioned. He had them often she realized almost every time he fell asleep actually he would go into these states of fright and it was quite creepy to the observer though she noticed that Clanker had always managed to calm the bloke down, she wondered if Clanker had heard him now, probably not since he hadn't rushed to his friends aid.

"Aye another one same as dey always are," He replied.

"Why do ye keep havin them?" she asked gently

"Because me mind is bloody damn set on tormentin me dat's why!" He replied his voice raised.

"Oi I cant prevent it frem happenin but I have an idear will ye hear me out on this?" she asked

"Why should I yer a gel how ken ye help me eh?"

"If ye'll hear me out I'll answer yer bloody question" she retorted

"Fine I'll hear ye out until I see it ain't gonna do nothin fer me," he grumbled.

"Well its simple ye care to talk bout said dreams?" Kate replied with a slight smile.

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Ye'd laugh at me,"

"No I wouldn't I don't laugh at people it goes against me standards," she replied.

"No I ain't tellin ye"

"Awww come on I swear I wont tell anyone"

"I SAID NO!!!"

"Please?" she pleaded giving him puppy dog eyes and sticking her lower lip out.

He rolled his eyes, "ye'll laugh at me I know ye will,"

"Like I said I wont laugh at ye" she said gently

He looked at her, he had discovered that in her three almost four weeks of being here that she was a very quiet and closed up girl. Well she really wasnt a girl she was 21 consider the age of a woman. But she had started talking with him after Ratlin had been messing with his head that had got knocked off when he was aloft by a boom. He liked her very much, she was very encouraging and upbeat when you actually talked to her. The rest of the time she was silent, distant and saddened, she looked like a majestic eagle in a cage.

"Very well I trust ye te not say a word, specially te Clanker he laughed last time," Hadras said giving in.

Kate smiled and took his hand kindly "Ye have my word I aint gonna laugh, or tell a soul"

He grinned lopsidedly. "Well I had another bad dream as ye know," he paused.

"Well what's it about talking about things can help" she said gently

"Well it starts out the same as always im here on the Dutchman...no one else is around the ship is void of anything moving" he paused "then I hear this sound of thumping and yelling and I turn around and Im ambushed by a hoard of Saxons and PINK BUNNIES!!!" he said eyes wide fear struck.

Kate kept a straight face "that's all?"

"Aye that's all that's in the dream being attacked by pink bunnies and Saxons," he sighed

"Well is there something like an experience that might prompt this dream?" she asked

"Aye I was a younger lad no doubt, left my home to find a job to send back what I earned since my village was poor and didn't have any jobs with a pay enough to feed my family with 10 little ones, not countin me mother and father. Well I eventually found a job for a Saxon rabbit farmer," he paused to catch his breathe. "He had a daughter...oh boy she was a sight for sore eyes she was ten times your size and I swear she had a BEARD!!! A beard for Pete sake!"

Kate was having trouble keeping a straight face at his animation

"Anyway she always wore some form of hideous shades of pink, she wouldn't stop hanging on me either I mean the first day she asked me to MARRY HER!!! She wouldn't take no for an answer either, until I told her to leave me alone and that she wasn't some delicate flower and more like a Holstein cow though I probably shouldn't have said that I was so sick and tired of it...well when I was in one of the barns she dumped a whole bunch of rabbits down on me and she tried to strangle me...more like suffocate me, and since I've gotten on here I keep havin that bad dream"

"Ah I see, no wonder Clanker laughs,"

"Gee thanks some help ye are"

"Just let me finish for cryin out loud will ya?"

"Fine," he said his shoulders slumping

"Its not that funny really more like a nightmare," she replied

"No really ye think eh?" he said aggravated

She scowled "No duh Hadras"

He stuck his tongue out at her, she returned the gesture causing him to fall over laughing in a histerical heap.

"It wasn't that funny ye know" she said crossing her arms

"Yes it is, your face is priceless," he replied breathless

"Harhar very funny shell head" she retorted

"Hey ye better watch it maybe ye'll be havin one and then I'll be callin ye shell head" he replied.

Kate sighed leaving it at that she heard someone yelling for Hadras as well "sounds like yer bein summoned Hady boy,"

He looked at her "don't call me that either," he said standing up

It was Kate's turn to laugh this time as he walked out of the room she called after him "WATCH OUT FOR SAXONS AND PINK BUNNIES!!!"

"TOLD YE YE WOULD LAUGH!!!"

"YOUR FACE IF PRICELESS!!!"

"YE CANT SEE IT!"

"SO?!"

She heard some form of cursing in Cantonese as he walked away, she sat in the corner laughing to herself, seems she had made a companion other than Bill it seemed, it would be quite the humorous relationship to be sure, she knew.

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So do you think it was worth the LONG wait? I will try and have the next chap up asap but my term in college is ending in a month and i need to get group prjects done along with journals and study guides

Review please constructive ctritiques are much appreciated as well...hyper ones are wonderful (put that part in for my hyper loving reviewers SOUPKITCHEN...or to me soupie gotta lurv ye mate)


	6. Chapter Six: Numb Or Warm

ITS ALIVE!!!!...again okay so this chapter is 13 PAGES long this was a really hard one to write considering its content if you think this fic is moving too fast well wait till the next chap things are going to start slowing down a bit now i hope this was worth its wait i had been going to do a whole past thing but its too early to know all my secrets so i left it with this arguement and so forth so enjoy

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Chapter Six Numb or Warm?

One month later

Some say a little heart to heart is good for the soul, or maybe it was the heart…tis a confusing matter all together. But neither the less it happens when two people realize that being open with one another is always the best way to go. Well it normally happens if these two people care for one another in a way that only a good heart to heart session can benefit. It normally happens after an argument. Well at least this time it will…would…should?

There had been mounting emotions like two swells out in sea waiting to collide in a frenzy of salt water in every direction only to end up as one. It was an odd thing to come across on this dreary ship. But Kate and Clanker neither the less found it in their hearts to cultivate feelings of fondness for the other. Though they never told the other these feelings, they still treated each other like always supervisor and supervisee. They fought from time to time but what marveled Clanker most was her determination to not give into the despair, which the curse so hungrily fed upon.

To see her bright determined yet downcast eyes always made his heart skip a beat in the dawn light. To be frank everything about her did…even the way she flippantly argued with him. It was stunning really how in so dreary a place and damning at that to see a spark of fire scrubbing the deck or aloft in the rigging, and it warmed the dark cold recesses of his heart that he thought he would never feel again. She was something he thought about constantly and he no longer mourned the death of the woman that had been close to him in previous life. She was a curious little thing, she was much, much shorter than he and he did quite like to fantasize about flinging her over his shoulder and carrying her down into the hold and to a cabin her laughing and giggling all the way. If only it could be so, such a pretty little thing with such fire needed someone to watch after her in that manner.

And besides Jones was no longer a threat either, joyous thing that. So many times had they quarreled and bickered back and forth that they nigh hated one another. The commodore coming out in the spark of flame, and the Captain in Jones trying to dominate over the flame to snuff it out. It was impossible to douse it, she was so determined and lively in the daylight after sunrise and the sun had locked into the sky for the day. But when sunset came she took residence in the rigging her ledger, ink and quill in hand to watch the sunset as she wrote in her empty pages. He wondered what she wrote, but being the thickheaded oaf that he was and nicknamed after he could no longer read. He was missing a few brain cells and the only thing he was really ever good at was bluffing and manning the deck. He was not an intellectual being, nor handsome ever really, he could be daft at times too having dreams at the end where carrots chased after him. If the red headed spark in his life knew she would laugh at him and scorn him for his lack of education and knowledge. He was gruff and loud….too loud for her liking it seemed, when she aggravated him so he would yell at her in frustration. At times he wondered if he even frightened her. Such a peculiar thing she was, it would take a hundred years to understand not even a quarter of her mind. But oh he would love to try and understand her so crystalline, clear and true. To hold her and whisper safety words of comfort and love…if ever he could bring himself to tell her. He watched her from the shadows he took to readily to observe her slender frame in the rigging at sundown.

Kate was, (as all the crew took note on their silent writer) sitting in her nest in the rigging. What was she writing in that book of hers? With the worn water stained crackling brown leather and crisp water stained ivory pages that would crumble if turned by the wrong touch…a mans touch was more like it with rough callused hands it would crack and crumble but the gentle brush of a woman's fingers only created a whisper of pages. Pages that held memories….thoughts…and wonderings, poetic endeavors and sketches. The simple creations of a girls mind…for a girl in a woman's body was how you would describe Katelyn Gibson should you have known her as I do.

Not much is known about this creatures life…history…past, whatever word you decide to chose really tis all a matter of perspective it matters all the same to her each word represents the same thing and Kate is an artist with words on paper that is when she delights in them most, though there is from time to time when she will use her artistry of words around a person. She has only done so on the rarest of occasions the last time which she spoke so proficiently she was 16 I doubt she will anytime soon. She is wrapped and enclosed in a hard stonewall braced with iron bars that no brave soul would dare to try and penetrate. Not that those that desired to were brave no they just wanted what was on the outside she will not open up for the inside to be revealed…that would take someone stout hearted and true to his course to even try and break the defenses down. Well whatever the case she wrote in the book she was writing none the less no stopping her from it.

Now our little authoress tucked in her perch had many things on her mind this night well only one thing with connections and desires to that one thing-person. She wanted to be loved and protected, to feel the warm safe loving embrace of a man that loved her for the inside as well as the out. She wanted to give her heart to someone she could trust it with…but she doubted there was anyone in the world to trust…to love. She would live with only herself and her hardened heart till it was melted away and what lay beneath was revealed…could she wait so long?

Yes there was someone that she admired and felt feelings for, but she couldn't…wouldn't tell him in fear of rejection and scorn. To be laughed at would be far worse a fate than never saying it at all. It was so tempting though to simply walk up to him and say '_have my heart…I trust you care for it well' _she wanted to lay her very life in his hands for as long as life would permit, he had handled it once with great consideration otherwise she would not be here….alive yet alone longing to belong to someone. That's when she heard his gruff voice calling her name demandingly. She turned around to look at him through the rigging before slipping down smoothly her writing material she placed on a barrel.

"I'm still waitin fer that apology ye owe frem disappearing inte the Captains cabin again for the third time this week," he said sternly he had a pretty good idea what was going on behind those doors.

"for what? I didn't do anything…nothing happened and we had a discussion" she replied bristling when he brought up the false accusations again.

"damn it o know someth'ins been goin on," he growled grabbing her wrist roughly

"damn it yerself, ye know nothing bout me and yer makin false accusations!!!" she growled in response tugging on her wrist…..it only caused him to grip it tighter his eyes burning like hard coal with a glow of flame to them "let go of me!!" she demanded stomping on his foot for the ninth time that day.

Clanker growled shouldering her like a bag of manure he didn't feel like dealing with this in front of the other men it was a matter for supervisor and supervisee. Though in Clanker's case it was out of an unknown sense of duty to make sure she was being a proper woman when he had feelings for her….Kate didn't know that though and she pounded on his head with her little fist.

"damnit how many times do you have to sling me over your shoulder like I'm your bloody damn property put me down!!!" she started pounding his head again a habit she had acquired when he did this to her

"Well, when ye start learnin' te leave me feet alone, I'll stop treatin' ye like a bag o' manure!" he shot back "same goes fer the head"

"its the only thing that has a damn affect on ye now would ye please put me down I don't like your hand on my thigh," she honestly didn't like it, it was making her very uneasy about the whole arrangement.

"Yet ye don't mind that slimy git puttin' his hands all over ye, do ye now?" he said bitterly.

"that is a bold faced lie I hav' never let anyone put their bloody damn hands on me….not willingly….ye think so little of me to think I would do that?" she said highly offended delivering another pound to his head "or are ye jest jealous cause there have been times he could have and ye haven't had a chance?" she shot darkly at him from her uncomfortable perch across his shoulder

He hefted her off of his shoulder and sat her down on top of a barrel ignoring her accusation. "He's no good I tell ya no good at all! Best ye stay as far frem the Captain as ye can"

She scowled crossing her legs and arms looking like a stubborn child that had been wrongly accused of a crime she hadn't committed "why would ye even care? Ye don't own my life….ye don't have a say in how I act…..ye don't have anything of me…nothing of me belongs to ya nothing at all," she said pounding her index finger into her shoulder

"I care 'cause the Captain made ye my responsibility an' it's _my_ skin on the line if ye tip his rocker the wrong way!!! Ye piss 'I'm off its my hide not jes yers!!!" he shouted

"I've pissed him off plenty and gotten the cat jes' me….he's never even considered ye as my supervisor te get the cat because of me!!!" she thought for a moment "this isn't because ye have any kind o' feelins fer me is there?" she questioned looking really put off if her did.

Clanker crossed his arms and turned his back on her. "No one on this ship cares fer anyone... none of 'em know of kindness or compassion... we're not supposed to show such emotions..."

She straightened slightly her fury dieing down like a fire being doused in flames. "it doesn't stop you from feeling them now does it?…..does it? because what I see in your eyes is not a monster but a man that has suffered and been denied what he could have had in a normal life...all of you have been denied that" she paused "and it hurts me to see it" she had dropped her pirate slang accent altogether now her slight Irish accented laced voice gracing his ears gently

Clanker was struck dumb. How could she know so much? How could she see that each member of that crew had once been a normal man? Some had had wives... others had children... some had just barely entered manhood before finding themselves bound to _The Dutchman_. Each had a past and all had regrets... Davy Jones forced them all to be cruel and to show no mercy, but few found any kind of fulfillment in this life.

Clanker himself only desired to be allowed to feel once more... he missed out on the very best of what life had to offer: finding love and raising a family. He'd never get that chance, and it infuriated him that the same man who had forced this had briefly glimpsed that fantasy with _his_ charge.

"Ye'll learn te stop feelin'," he whispered. "It's better not te feel..."

Kate's face hardened "no its not best not to feel damn it, I've had that problem growing numb and distant cold uncaring being completely alone...now that's not the best thing at all, and then I found a outlet to feel again...telling stories to children, seeing their smiling faces, feeling their gentle hugs it warmed even the coldest depths of my heart, life isn't anything without feelings and ill be damned if I cant be of some help to those that suffer that loss or are denied that"

Clanker laughed coldly. "Ye think the Captain'll let ye get away with tryin' te soften his crew? Like he said, he'll break ye sooner or later... we all get broken..."

"Well he's in for a heck of a task because I know that I'm worth more than just a bag of bones, I've learned to never give in to people that would otherwise wish to discourage me, I have to much to hold onto to much to fight for and dreams that I wont let rest until their fulfilled" Kate replied determinedly

Clanker turned to face her once again. "Well, if ye're plannin' on savin' the world, ye might want te start with someone not so dangerous as de Captain"

Kate sighed she hated the facts "I-I just wish that we could be wanted not for being a convince but for who we are out of love not out of desire," Kate squeezed her eyes shut a tear seeping from underneath her eye lid and slowly down her cheek

Clanker sighed. The girl was really pulling on the heartstrings he thought no longer had. "Please don't cry."

"you go through what I've had to endure all my life and then ye tell me not to cry" she replied stiffly wiping her face

He sighed reaching out to touch her shoulder but refrained "now…now lass please…I'm sure ye'll fine someone that'll care fer ye the way ye want 'em te"

"your words hold no truth the main another reason why I have such a problem against men...they don't tell the full truth, they want to keep women in the dark, easy to control while their at a disadvantage, believe me I know far too well whereas you never can" she said bitterly

"Ye assume too much!" Clanker growled. "I... I jest don't want ye te be upset no more..."

"and your a contentious pain in the rear and telling the truth would do much better than lying," she replied her voice cold like stone

"Fine!" he snapped. "Ferget I said anythin'!" He turned and sat down on a crate with his back to her, arms crossed.

Kate turned around on the barrel so that her back faced him "its already forgotten" she growled

Clanker glanced over his shoulder at her. "Ye're annoyin', ye know that?"

"seems to be my purpose concerning you since I got here" she replied stubbornly

"Well, ye find I'm not so bad if ye stop causin' me so much damn trouble!"

"then stop given me a reason to cause trouble because every time you say something it just aggravates me...I can be quite agreeable….if you have doubts catch Jones at a good time and ask him" She replied her back still to him

"If it's all the same," Clanker growled. "I'd rather _not_ talk te Jones 'bout yer little touchy-feely session in his cabin!"

"Nothing indecent happened why can't you accept that? He talked to me…..we ended up getting in battle of wits….I got in trouble HE HATES MY GUTS!!! I hate his for all that matter never did like them" she muttered

Clanker turned to her again. "Well, the Captain would 'ave ye flogged if he e'er recovers frem yer blundering twisting words!!!"

Kate looked highly offended "you are sooo out of line buster my words do not twist!!"

"but ye've showed him compassion in the past few days have ye not?!!" he growled standing up to face her

She sputtered flushing in the face she couldn't help but show compassion…..for anyone

"ye show compassion te Bill….te Hadras….te me even, every bloody damned person on here!!" he was only mere inches from her face now

"And compassion is a weakness? No its a strength a good strong one too. A person is not human without it, its as much apart of a person as is a heart!!" she glared back at him unclenched by how close his face was "and why are you hammering me? If you didn't care about my welfare you wouldn't be doing this and you sure as hell wouldn't be accusing me of something that is not sound!!"

"Ha! Ye thought I was tryin' te spare ye from him 'cause I cared?! Nay, I was savin' me own bacon! If ye had pissed him off it would o' been me who would have te explain te the Captain why!"

Though that wasn't entirely true. Clanker did fear the wrath of Davy Jones, but he was quickly discovering that he could never wish harm upon this little spitfire.

"you sound just like every other self caring man I've come across yet again another reason why I'm not keen on men" Kate said harshly...why did all the decent ones turn out to be like the rest?

"Well ye're just like every other woman I've ever met! Ye all think ye know things ye don't!"

"that may be so but at least I don't care for only my own hide" Kate retorted

"Ye will once ye've been on this ship long enough," Clanker said grimly. "Everyone's gotta look out fer themselves, 'cause they know that no one else is goin' te."

"I wont make another suffer to keep my hide safe and I wont go accusing someone of something they did not do I'm not going to let this damn ship change who I am for the worst hell no I am not one to surrender to anything or anyone haven't done so yet…… I never go out with out a fight" she said with conviction on she could have

Clanker scowled. "That jest means the Captain will take greater pleasure when ye finally do break..." he didn't want to witness her break under the captains steel claw but it was inevitable

"then let him but I'm not going to give in and give him the satisfaction of knowing he's can hurt me its what I've done all my life and I'm going to do it for the rest of it until the day I die its what makes me stronger" she replied determined she would rather die than give the Captain that knowledge

"Ye don't know what Jones is capable of!" Clanker hissed. "He'll force ye te yield te his will, or he'll make ye wish ye were dead! He'll put ye through Hell an' worse!"

"then so be it but damn it if I'm going to let myself be broken without a fight I'm not a coward I'm afraid yes but I'm no coward" she replied evenly

Clanker shook his head. "I told ye... we all get broken sooner or later... do yerself a favor an' jest give in. Don't make it any harder fer yerself than it has te be..."

"ill do what I'm supposed to don't worry about that but I'm not going to go so low to let myself be walked all over,"

"You already _have_ stooped lower!" Clanker cried. "Ye let that fish-face _touch_ you!"

"no damn it I did not!!!" she cried in frustration

"I know ye let him I jes know ye did" he growled his eyes flickering hurt

"why does it matter to you?!" Kate yelled she wasn't a child and he was treating her like one "if I did that's my business not yours!!"

"Ye're _my_ charge!" he blurted out.

"so why do you care what happens to me...all I've ever done to you is stomp your foot and give you a headache and if its just because your hide was on the line I don't buy it," she replied her arms crossed

Clanker straightened. "What de ye mean ye don't buy it?"

"you wouldn't keep pounding on me about it if it was just about you getting in trouble, you would just tell me to not do it again and leave it at that" she replied

"Ha!" Clanker laughed, trying to disguise his discomfort. "Ye think I'm jealous!"

"never said that...why do you insist I did something like that? And I'm sure if you wanted to get your hands on me it wouldn't be too hard for how much larger you are than me," she muttered crossing her arms agitated

Clanker gave another nervous laugh and crossed his arms. "As if I _need_ a woman's touch!"

Kate raised an eyebrow "all the better for me but you may not need it but you may most certainly want it. I'm not blind I've been around men I know the look in their eyes" it was true Kate had noticed the look in his eyes for a very very long time. she had always really good at reading people by the looks in their eyes that's what always gave her an advantage

Clanker scoffed. "Ye think ye can seduce me with yer clever words... there ain't nothin' I want from _you_!"

Though he did wonder what it would feel like to have her warm fingers touch his face, or to rest his hand against her smooth, flat tummy.

"Oh like I'm trying to seduce you? That's some fantasy you're living in HA!! Heck I don't even know how to as you put it "seduce" she grumbled

"Well ye're sure doin' a good job of it!"

Clanker paused and considered what he just said. "_Shoot, shouldn't have said that!_" he thought.

Kate reared her head back in surprise her face perplexed "oh...sorry" she said regretfully she hadn't meant to be

Clanker sighed as his shoulders slumped. "No, don't be sorry... it ain't yer fault... ain't yer fault that ye got stuck on a ship wit' a bunch o' men what haven't seen or touched a woman in decades..." he felt bad for actually wanting her at the moment….but seeing her all gung ho to defend her case was enough to make any poor soul want to scoop her up in his arms and have his way with her

Kate sighed "still just me being here is tormenting you and everyone else...I don't like tormenting people I always feel bad for some of the affect I have on your gender I really do….I cant help but feel its my fault for the way I look" she didn't consider herself gorgeous or beautiful….just appealing

"It's jest been a long time since any o' us have touched anythin' that's livin'... or beautiful.…" he said bashfully scratching the back of his neck

Kate sighed she didn't consider herself beautiful by any stretch I mean she had ragged red hair plain old green eyes and she had some freckles on her face and she had a tan

"the only thing about that is that I'm alive, I'm not what most would consider beautiful" Kate replied "and its only normal that people long for something that's out of reach...there so many things that I want and yet more than likely will never have"

Clanker looked at her. "Ye gotta be kiddin' me? Ye don't think ye're beautiful? Pretty, even?"

"appealing but I've never really taken the time to admire myself in a looking glass either" she replied coolly

"Well, this probably don't mean much comin' from someone like me but I think ye're pretty..." he said softly his gray cold cheeks reddening and warming ever so slightly in a blush

"what do you mean someone like you?" she asked confused "your not bad compared to some if you were like the others I've had the displeasure of running into id be knocked out cold by now"

"No, I meant...I meant from someone who... _looks_ like me..." he said sadly

"What? I don't see anything wrong with you...I mean yes your covered in sea life but that doesn't make you a monster or something worse," Kate replied...seriously she didn't see their deformities or added life to their bodies

Clanker furrowed his brow. "Ye don't find anythin' repulsive about _this_?" he gestured towards himself.

"no to be honest I do not see anything repulsive about you Clanker…..not at all" she said honestly "should I?" she asked

Clanker stood up. "Ye don't find me ugly?" this confused him greatly

"no not at all…..why do you not believe me?" she asked slightly hurt that he didn't believe her.

Clanker sat back down. "Ye must be blind then... I'm a monster... everyone sees it..."

"I don't see a monster" she said softly

"then what do ye see?" he asked looking at her sadly

"I see a man that has misfortune that befell him...its not that bad no a monster is not what you are"

Clanker sighed. "I wish everyone could see things the way you do... through innocent eyes..." he looked at her his eyes mournful "unfortunately, that's not how things are..."

She raised an eyebrow "my eyes are not innocent by far….believe me on that" she smiled softly "I just don't judge by peoples appearance

"I can't accept that," he whispered hoarsely

"please...its true its not what matters on the outside, its the inside of a person that counts..."

"Well, that ain't very encouragin'," he said grimly. "I ain't a very friendly man..."

Kate sighed her shoulders slumping she didn't know what else to say to convince him.

"Sorry te disappoint ye, lass," he said. "But that's the truth o' it... our bodies mutate an' our souls rot..."

Kate finally grasped the situation she found herself in "but I don't want that to happen there must be a way to fight it"

"Ye'll be hard-pressed te figure out a way," he told her honestly. "None o' us could stop it."

"I-I don't want to loose myself," she said softly "I don't want to loose my heart to a-a curse"

Clanker shrugged. "That's too bad... it'll be a shame te see yer body change..."

"only because you like the look of it now," Kate rolled her eyes crossing her arms...even the decent men still were men she had to live with that fact she did of course

"Fer what it's worth I'll be sorry te see yer heart go cold too..." he said looking at her from the corner of his eye

"I'm not letting it my heart grow cold again….I cant-wont do it," she said distantly

"It might be better while ye're stuck here... some o' the things ye're goin' te be subject te witnessin' will only wound a feelin' heart..."

"that's what makes life…life being numb just makes a person an empty shell whether they want to be or not"

"maybe there's hope fer ye…ye ken make a cold hearted ill tempered bloke like me feel a pang o' somthin there has te be some hope fer ye" he said trying to make her feel better

she got up from the barrel and went to him taking his hands "come with me I want to show you something…"

he looked at her oddly "yer not goin te regret any o' this are ye?"

"no just trust me," she wanted to help him feel more than just a pang….she wanted to tell him her feelings

he followed her unknowingly into the hold and into a small closet like room…there was barely any room for both of them to maneuver properly. What was she up to?

Kate looked down "how do you feel at the moment?" she asked softly facing him

"Unsure," he said weakly

she smiled slightly at his answer he had misunderstood her "what is it your heart wants most?"

"I... I don't know..."

"what does your heart feel like, numb cold? alive warm?" she said looking at his chest where his heart was

"It feels... different... somethin' I haven't felt fer a very long time..." came his hoarse reply

"do you know what is causing this?" she asked softly

"I... I think it's you..." he said looking at her intently

"me?!" she asked surprised her eyes looking up to him

"aye it is ye," he muttered his eyes couldn't leave her lushes lips for some reason

Kate smiled softly "good I'm glad, because…..my heart feels warmed too and its-its because of you Clanker" she found herself not wanting to leave the small room now she had been considering doing so a moment ago

"Can I touch you?" his question was very faint as if he were afraid she would hear him and tell him no…..scorn him even. It was so desperate so pleading……so innocent and sincere

she looked up at him again "you wouldn't think anything less of me if I said yes?"

"nay…" he said simply

"my reason for asking is because I don't want to be considered easy…." She said faintly with a nod of permission "yes you can touch me Clanker……I-I trust you" she said her voice cracking as she inhaled shakily

He raised his hand and gently caressed her face with his fingertips... her skin was warm and soft beneath his cold flesh making his fingers tingle. He liked the way it felt beneath his fingertips. To feel warmth again was beyond mind reeling

Kate realized how much smaller she was than him...normally this realization would have sent her senses on alert but she didn't feel threatened by him instead she felt safe and secure so close to him.

"Ye're warm," he murmured as he raised his other hand to join the other.

Kate smiled she didn't have a response to the comment this time like she had the last, she was rendered speechless really

"Can I hold ye?" came his next tender careful request

Kate smiled bringing her hand up to rest on his "I don't mind"

He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her against himself. She was so small and fragile that he was almost afraid he would break her if he wasn't gentle with her. It was amazing how delicate she was and yet she could be so strong and defiant. She took lashings greater than most men he knew.

Kate rested her head and hands against his chest she felt safe in his arms...a feeling that she hadn't felt in a long long time. It was a very reassuring feeling to feel once more.

His breath caught when she rested against him. It was like she was looking to him for security. It was a strange feeling, feeling needed... but he liked it... he wanted to protect her... he wanted her to depend on him...

Of course, he couldn't protect her from all of the horrors on The Flying Dutchman... but he promised himself that he would try...

She felt so much smaller than him, she couldn't get past how easily if he wanted to he could hurt her, but she knew he wouldn't just by the way he held her, it was like he valued her enough to not push her away it made her feel things that she had thought she had sealed away into the depths of her heart.

Maybe he was right about things changing but it wasn't for the worst no it was causing her shattered heart to mend that had been dashed millions of times it seemed

"Maybe we should go before we get caught," he suggested, though he didn't really want this moment to end.

"its night everyone is more than likely asleep" Kate replied not wanting to move

"I guess you're right... you look sleepy, yerself..." he commented brushing her cheek tenderly

"in truth...I'm exhausted," she replied animatedly for a girl beyond the edge of exhaustion

"Do ye trust me?" he asked suddenly it seemed to her

"I do trust you Clanker…..I said so once and I have no problem telling you again" she said encouragingly

"I'm glad ye think so," he said. He simply stood there for a long time. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and laid down with her. He had her resting on top of him so that he could be her cushion against the hard floor.

Kate relaxed against him closing her eyes...she trusted Clanker...Clanker had never had the worst in mind and for that she trusted him "good night" she said softly before feeling sleep tugging at her conscious state faintly

"good nigh' Kate." He whispered half asleep himself "I love ye" he added after a while

she smiled her eyes closed as she laid against him "I love you too"

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So how did this chapter work for you? and am i keeping kate true to her character or no? i need feed back if there is stuff to constructivly critisize then feel free too i HIGHLY doubt i am so good an author nno one has nothing constructive to say and yes i took my program and grammared and stuff so if you find that type of error get after microsoft word...not me please i know my grammer and punctuation stinks and their soooooo common of critiques i want to know where i need to spiff it up in an area if i need more davy/kate enteraction or more hadras or bill or someone

Savy?

anyway i love my readers and reviewers and those who have not forsaken me in my literate endeveour i am grateful for your support im not sure when the next chap will be up but i will get it up...eventually im trying to work on multiple stuff so be understanding for my other stories and readers


	7. Chapter 7: Battle of the Fittest

Yes I do believe I'm coming out of my writers block whole from lack of being creative during my college papers and now I am into my story again. And now I think ill be turning out a chapter or two a month depending on the length and how my schedual turns out. Hopefully I'll be getting this fic completed but the end is still very far on the horizon which is a good thing. Well now for that update I shall let you enjoy this chapter

Lady Rivania

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_Chapter Seven Battle of the Fittest_

Now this may come as a surprise to some of you but these brutish, cruel, savage men on the Dutchman (which they are not from any stretch of the imagination may I assure you most urgently). Do love a good form of entertainment, whether it is from the ravaging of a sweet innocent, a plundering of a ship, the deceit of dice, a cheery musical number, or an animated telling of a story from an animated storyteller. Whatever the instance may be they always want a form of enjoyment to curb whatever savageness they may possess. Though a few like Jimmylegs, Maccus, and some others deny they have any form of enjoyment.

We know for a fact our Bo' sun loves to use that lovely cat of his to tear backs to shreds….that's entertainment and a sickly derived pleasure from making others suffer. Ahem any way he has something to entertain him. Maccus loves and I mean its all he thinks about he loves playing liars dice…even if he does loose all the time, poor bloke really should keep his years and work them off I say, twould be the safest thing to do. Our feared and respected Captain Jones even has a form of entertainment or two, his organ for one…oh how he could demand the notes out of those poor keyboards as he hammered away in anger and pain or in sorrow and mellow temperament, and how he enjoys tormenting poor lost souls fated to be consumed by the sea and judgment…now you don't call that a form of entertainment?

And Hadras he has many changing forms of entertainment one in the top five is practicing his opera he had a very screechy alto that drives everyone into insanity when Koleniko decides to use one of his entertaining activities for using Hadras' head for a bowling ball at the seagulls. Ogilvey he likes to experiment with the Dutchman's ammo seeing which one makes more damage in the deck, though he ends up doing all the repair work….silly old fool and he grumbles about all the extra work he has to do.

Crash…you now why he's called that just by the name it's a given what he likes to do…crash into the masts head on no wonder his face is all messed up. Ratlin he liked tying his ropes into knots most of the time nothing much for a bright mind for him. Wheelback oh poor soul so misunderstood as a crazy old coot he likes charting maps…to where no one knows but he does that's what matters claims that he's going to find unproclaimed riches when he's free….no he's not misunderstood he is a crazy ol' coot. The Twins well no one knows really all you see of them is munching on crabs and sea life that grows on them. Clanker likes doing a great many things his most favored lately was holding his sweetheart close and whispering in her ear and nuzzling her neck affectionately, it was as far as he would allow himself to go unless she asked. But when not having his little lassie in his arms it was dice he was a proclaimed champion….all save for the one he had played against Kate over her trunks. And for our little spitfire she likes to practice her dice she's determined to beat everyone save for Jones on the ship she might tackle that opponent later but when things were better and he wasn't so hating of her.

Well on this particularly blustery evening on the ghost ship with Jones once again hammering away on the organ the crewmen had decided on a tournament most of them were tired of Clanker winning every game and holding the title of champion so naturally the one being grumbled about set out a challenge. And the challenge was whoever could beat him in a full set of dice they could have his title no fuss…that was if they could out wit him. Everyone had tried thus at least the ones willing to put what pride they had on the line. As each loser left the table Kate stood silent watching both Clanker and whom ever his opponent was. She caught on right away what Clanker did when he was bluffing…his eyes flickered to where she stood that or he tilted his head every so slightly. His voice jostled her out of her thoughts but it want pleasantly received by her ears.

"Anymore of ye outstandin gents wish te claim the name o' champion fer yerselves?" he inquired. That's when she got an elbow in her rib and a curious look from her expectant crewmen she had played the game with pretty much all of them and had won more than half of them.

"What?!" she asked raising her hands out.

"Are ye gonna play 'im or not?" Greenbeard asked having just walked away from the table in defeat.

"Uh am I supposed to?" she asked

"Aye unless yer too much o' a scared wench te try and best him," Penrod jabbed like a little brother

"Don't make me tie yer antennas in a knot shrimp," she warned

"Its lobster not shrimp" he shot

"If I say shrimp its shrimp," she warned again raising her fist

"Whatever ye say…scared wench," he said under his breathe for her to hear ended up getting bopped in the head with her fist "what de bloody hell was that fer!!!" he screeched

"Fer callin me a scared wench," she said lifting his chin up with her boot "I ain't scared oh him," she said casting Clanker a look he was only smirking leaning back with his arms crossed watching the whole scene "ye got that shrimp boy?"

"Yes miss," he said hastily still teasing her

"Ah what did I say about calling me miss?"

"Don't do it," he said sheepishly

"Good boy, off with ya," she said waving him off before she was picked up and flung over a shoulder it belonged to Ogilvey

"Hey what gives? I ain't a sack oh potatoes ya know," she laughed through a veil of hair that had slipped into her face

"Yer gonna play 'im and yer gonna win other wise its ten bottles o' rum down the hatch" he said plunking her down on the bench across from Clanker

"Ow be a little more gentle when ya do that" she grumbled rubbing her rump "so in other words there'll be a drinking contest?"

There was an uproar of cheers at that

"Sorry boys I don't drink for sport or any occasion," she said firmly

Then there were protests from the once cheering men

"Hey if you want to get the cat for sleeping past yer shift be my guest but ill be the one working without any trouble" she said over her shoulder "now where's the dice I've got a game te play here," she said holding her hand out for them

"So the lil spitfires gonna try it again eh?" Clanker purred with a sly grin placing the dice in her hands brushing his fingers on her palm with a secret twinkle in his eye

"Again? The last time I won Master Clanker so lets hope you've improved since then" she said with her own tilt of her head with a playful grin on her face as she placed her dice in her mug

"Oh believe me lil girl I let ye win last time don't think ill do the same fer ya now," he said placing his own in his mug

"The bigger they are the harder they fall dearie better watch your ego or ye'll end up never living it down," she said as if she were talking to a child some of the men laughed and jabbed one another

Clanker scoffed "lets get this game goin then….unless of course ye are a scared wench like Penrod claims" he said raising his eyebrow

"The terms Master Clanker?" she asked agitated her eyes showing it

"If ye win ye get the title if I win well I want a kiss…. here" he said tapping his lips licking them

"Ye sure ye don want more than that Clanker?" came a call from the back of the group

"Shut it Quittance," he snapped making Kate jump "I have some respect fer the lady maybe I'll jes' have 'er teach ye how te respect a woman," he said threateningly then turned back to Kate

She held back a smile "you have a deal now shall we begin?" she asked

"Aye," he said with a serious face.

They shook their mugs in off set timing and slammed them on the table before them and the game began. It was played in silence save for raising the beat or calling a bluff, the audience stood in silent anxiety and anticipation for who the proclaimed winner would be. If the 50-year running champion would still hold the title or this chit of a girl that had been there for a few months would reign champion next to the Captain.

"Four sixes," came Clanker mumbled reply on the third round it was two dice to four and he had the four.

"Liar," she said immediately catching the flick of his eyes to her in the way of enduring adoration that he did when he bluffed

He sighed removing his cup to reveal his dice as she did her own. There wasn't a single 6 in sight.

"Oh ye are good," he nodded wiping the perspiration from his forehead.

"I know," she grinned shaking her dice again and slamming it onto the table

"Ye flatter yerself too much," he muttered good-naturedly

"I know that too," she smirked looking at her dice "two three's" she bet

"Three sixes" he raised without a hint of fibbing

"Four sixes" she countered smoothly

"Five sixes" he replied rubbing his ear as if it itched

"Liar," she stated seeing the action it was an even draw

Needless to say it went right down to a one on one draw, Clanker had the first bet say two fours and Kate didn't have a four and to turn out neither did he. There was an uproar of boisterous cheering as the crewmen hoisted her up onto their shoulders parading her about the deck. It was a silly thing to her but she humored them it had taken a long time to win their respect and now they considered her as one of them and the proclaimed champion of dice amongst the crew…no one ever dared challenge the Captain who knew what he would want should the challenger leave and it was not a risk any of them were willing to take. Jimmylegs was only one of the very few that disliked her and when you said disliked that was putting it mildly.

It was well into the late night until she was able to slip away from the crew to the quiet storage room she found it empty but it wouldn't be for long his watch was almost done anyway and he would soon seek her out in their little den where they curled up each night wrapped in each others arms with a coarse blanket tossed over them. She loved how she went to sleep each night but it was hard to hide her feelings for him when she wanted to shout to the world she was loved for the very first time for what was inside her heart than outside of her body.

She grinned widely feeling the familiar presence of him behind her as he wrapped his arms about her pulling her back to him.

"Quite the sneaky man aren't you?" she said amused

"Have te be my lil champion," he murmured pushing her hair from her neck and placing tender juicy kisses on her neck teasing her with his tongue as he tasted her.

She squealed and squirmed "that tickles Clanker," she protested with a laugh

"Oh I know that's why I do it," he replied biting her neck gently

She rolled over facing him "if you're going to get all slobbery then why don't you kiss my lips instead of my weakest point?"

He grinned, "I'm sure that ken be arranged," he said pressing his lips to hers firmly in a deep kiss.

She smiled against the kiss happy as ever she could be in her life, but little did the two love birds anticipate that things would change in the following days. That someone from the past would appear and take their place on the same ship as well.

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If you found grammatical errors thats because my program did not catch it and I'm not the best with grammatical issues so this error is a given don't review saying this story bleeps because it should of had a comma here in such in such sentence. I haven't gotten any like that so no need to think its you I'm referring too ive just seen reviews like it and it makes me very displeased.

Any way was that a lame cliff hangerish ending? I feel like its lame could you give me pointers on how to do one i might go back and edit this ending anyway


	8. Chapter 8: So Close, So Far Apart

YAY!!! The chapted ive been anticipating in writing and going to be giving a new twist to my story READ ON!!!

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_Chapter Eight So Close, So Far Apart_

_Pain…fear…pain…agony…pain…kraken…pain…water…pain…darkness_

Thunder and lightening roared in the far off distance from the wreck of a merchantman named the _Seaward II_ there was only one survivor an unlikely one at that…lavender skirts floated in the water like forlorn abandoned flags being moved about in the current. Her upper body was on the cracked deck her legs in the hungry water that wanted to pull her unconscious form in and devour her. Deep brown hair plastered to the porcelain skin drenched from the rain.

It would be only an hour or two before the winds picked up and the waves grew to claim their long desired prize.

Shadows danced about in the moonlight giving the atmosphere that of foreboding and frightening images. Images danced behind the woman's closed unconscious eyes, her soul was dancing between heaven and earth her mind trying to will herself to life again and her maker calling her home. She saw the souls of the departed walking through those golden gates that radiated that glorious welcoming light of the Fathers awaiting embrace to his children. But she also saw some falling off a cliff with a black aura having wandered from the light of the golden gate she wanted to help these people but it was too late for them. There were so many lost souls and so few of those who desired to see their Lord Christ. It was sad to her, as she stood there with glassy eyes unmoving not wanting to go in the golden gates or fall over the cliff.

That's when a hellish cry of parting waves rushing away like frightened cockroaches from the ship that burst from the depths. The _Flying Dutchman _had come for investigation for profitable acquirement. Neither Captain or crew knew what surprises lay ahead things would be different from this soon to be point on. It was a dismal heart wrenching sight…if you had a heart that is and most of the people who had one where as cold as a person lacking the very organ.

Kate stood by the railing images of her own recruitment running through her mind her hand was curled around a cruel looking cutlass…her cutlass she had since day one. But it looked out of place in her shaky grip she didn't know she was shaking till she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder she looked over her shoulder to see Bill.

"Ye alrigh' lass?" he asked concerned

She nodded sighing heavily and shaking "aye I'm alright," she heard the familiar clinking of chains beside her and she looked to see Clanker her heart leaping briefly before she remembered the sight they were looking at.

"Ye'll be needin supervisin since this is yer first boardin' mission," he said in a low gruff voice

"Aye sir," she said nodding again she smiled faintly when he brushed his hand comfortingly against hers.

"BOARD!!" they heard the first mate yell as he disappeared onto the wreck everyone soon followed but Kate had to hold onto Clanker unable to transport on her own she was wondering why none of the curse was affecting her

Kate followed her supervisor about keeping her eye open for any crazed survivor she stopped she something…or in this case someone caught her eye. Lavender and brown being her shocked view. No it couldn't be she didn't!! Kate rushed to the side of the body parting the hair.

"No… oh no," she whispered desperate tears filling her eyes "of you didn't come looking for me," she said cradling the head to her chest "oh why do you insist on keeping your promises to make up for lost time?"

Clanker knelt in front of her worried and confused "who is she?" he asked checking for a pulse he found one "whoever she is she's alive," he mused

Kate looked at him sadly about to say something when the woman in her arms started to cough and open her eyes groaning she stopped when she focused on the person holding her.

"Kate?" she asked unbelievingly.

"Yes I'm here you shouldn't have come looking for me Sur'ri I told you it was dangerous when I was 13" Kate tried to scold but failing miserably

"Kate who is this woman?" Clanker asked in earnest

Both of them looked at him Kate's eyes full of despair and Sur'ri's full of fear.

"She's-she's my sister Clanker" Kate replied looking down at the elder woman.

"She's yer what?!" he hissed anxiously "oh Kate ye know if he finds out he's gonna kill 'er jes te spite ya!!"

"I know that!!" she snapped, "I don't have any control over this whole turn of events," she said desperate,"

"Kate what's going on I don't want to die I came to look for you so we could go back to Ireland like I promised" Sur'ri said worriedly

Clanker looked to the woman "Ever 'eard of Davy Jones?"

"Yes," she nodded her eyes slightly wide in confusion

"Ever 'eard he goes frem ship wreck te ship wreck wit 'is cursed crew?"

"Yes," she said with a slow nod of her head looking at him like he was nuts…why the heck did her look like he had a ton of sea creatures dumped on him?

"Well ye gonna meet 'im and he ain't a happy feller none either," he replied

Sur'ri looked at him as if he had lost it. "You can't be serious…can he?" she looked to Kate who nodded sadly

"I'm afraid so Sur'ri" she whispered that's when the three heard the thump of the crab leg and Jones appear

"Well, well wot 'ave we 'ere?" Jones mused cruelly his pipe settled into the corner of his mouth that was turned down into a contemptuous sneer "a lil mermaid flopped up on deck?" he snapped his head back in a silent order for the two to walk away from the small woman

Clanker obeyed having to grab Kate's arm and haul her up, they made it hard on him because Sur'ri didn't want to let go of her sister but her eyes never left the Captain.

"Kate let go of 'er now please" he hissed urgently in her ear

Kate did so grudgingly she hoped her sister would take death over service, she feared if she took service she would experience horrors not worth dealing with just to be with Kate.

"And wot is yer name Miss?" Jones asked circling the shivering woman though he doubted it was from fear she was sitting there with a look of a child seeing a Childs story character come to life…no it was not from fear it was from the cold water that her dress was drenched in.

"Cerulean Gibson sir," she said through chattering teeth and brushing a wet strand of wet hair from her face

"Ah a color of the sea no doubt I presume?" he whispered by her ear toying with the shivering creature she was quite appealing to the eyes he could see that clearly her green eyes sparkling "but also a familiar surname as well tell me Miss Gibson," he said his head snapping over to Kate. "Is yer sister yer elder or younger?" his head tilted to the side inquisitively

Kate gulped "she is my elder by nine yers Captain" she replied her hand holding Clanker's tightly behind her back

He nodded and turned back to the lavender clad woman pounding the used tobacco out of his pipe blowing the last of the smoke down into the woman's causing her to cough delicately. He sneered his hand gripping her chin forcing her to look up her eyes were wide with surprise as he tilted her head from side to side inspecting her. He grunted after a while letting her go roughly.

"Ye'll do, get up," he ordered, "I said get up wench," he growled as she rose slowly on her unsteady feet.

She swayed about to fall over when he tightly gripped her forearm his claw snagging some of the cloth and ripped it off her shoulder so the skin was exposed. Kate made to jump at him but Clanker restrained her.

"Let her alone!!" Kate yelled pleadingly as Jones grabbed Sur'ri's forearm again roughly pulling her close she struggled against Clanker when her sister yelped in surprise

"Master Clanker it would do ya well te keep yer charge in order!" he snapped at the man.

"Aye sir," Clanker said gruffly "Kate shut yer yap…please" he hissed again

Jones tightened his tentacle finger tightly about the warm flesh sending a shock.

Sur'ri cried out struggling it felt like her arm was being burnt especially where his finger was.

"Now, now Miss no struggling will only make it burn even more," he purred dangerously low taking pleasure in seeing the woman bite her lip, squeeze her eyes shut and whimper in pain. Oh yes she would be much fun to have about such a little delicate lady of innocence. It was visible that she was inexperienced in more twisted matters to him she was the very image of innocence even if it was a woman but she wasn't that woman. No she seemed far from it.

He eventually released her momentarily to see the black mark about her forearm looking like singed flesh "welcome aboard the Flying Dutchman Miss Gibson ye wont be leavin fer a very long time," he said cruelly with a laugh

"NO!! YOU BASTARD YOU DIDN'T GIVE HER A CHOICE!!" Kate cried

"Master Clanker get this rat out o' my sight and lock 'er in a room fer all I don't give a damn she will not be seein 'er sister" he ordered looking irate.

"Aye sir, come along," he said trying to pull Kate away from her sister who had slipped to the deck in intense pain

"No let me go," she said refusing to budge

Clanker growled hauling her up over his shoulder he didn't want Kate getting the cat and he'd put up with her mad at him so long as she wasn't in pain. He walked through the railing disappearing on the Dutchman.

"Kate are ye mad? Be grateful he didn't kill her by yer hand!!" he said taking her deep into the hold

Kate didn't respond she had slumped against his shoulder crying for her sister…her sweet innocent sister was at the mercy of the devil of the sea and her greatest foe. She had no doubt what Jones had in mind for Sur'ri and she couldn't bear to think about it. She wasn't even aware of Clanker walking into a cabin and setting her on the bed crawling on it next to her and holding her to him

"Shhhh everythin 'ill be alrigh'," he said stroking her hair as she wept

She didn't say anything and when she did it was for her condemned sister.

Back on the wreck Jones had explained to Sur'ri that she would be in his care for a supervisor and that she would do as told when told no questions asked. She nodded fear evident in her eyes now her body shaking more from fear than the cold. He had dragged her back to the Dutchman and into his cabin leaving her just inside the door locking it and going to a cabinet pulling out some dry clothes mostly just an older shirt of his and a pair of overly large trousers that would not serve her justice till the morning when he'd find her something appropriate. He tossed them to her ordering her to change as he walked out onto the balcony and closing the door to give the frightened girl privacy.

Sur'ri changed out of her soaked dress and stripping the chemise off her body with difficulty she then wrapped herself tightly in the clothes she was provided with and set her under garment out so they could dry so she could utilize them again her dress needed serious mending and alteration to the sleeves. But once she was decent she tapped on the door again to let him now she was respectable. She quickly stepped meekly out of the way as he walked back in giving her a look before going to his organ seemingly ignoring her presence. After what felt like forever he addressed her.

"There's a bed o're there," he said gruffly "get some sleep ye'll be mendin nets first thing in the mornin"

She nodded going over to the bed and curled up under the blankets she was still shaking and the blankets helped only minimal she fell into a troubled sleep curled up tightly in her over sized clothes in the prescience of the Devil of the Sea.

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Not what you were expecting was it? we shall deffinatly be seeing more of Cerulean for surei know there wasnt much talking with her but there will be 


	9. Chapter 9: Histories Tale

_Longest wait I'm sorry for that my life has been either hectic or more hectic. I also had lost inspiration to write and I regret I am attempting to regain that inspiration for continiums. I thank you for the support _

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_Chapter Nine Histories Tale _

Sometimes empty pages, ink and quills were simply not enough to fully rid ones self of hurts and pains of the life you've lived. Kate found this to be quite true to her feelings curled up in the bunker nestled away in a faraway hammock in Clanker's arms whom she had learned what he could remember of his past life. He had been a man that went by the name of Thomas Brian; he was born and raised in a small town in England though where he was not quite certain the name avoided him tirelessly leaving him without it. He had been the eldest son of a farmer and had more little sisters than he did brothers lot of girls to look after he had commented with a fondness he had always loved girls best they were just always so…so innocent in a sense as he put it they way they looked up to him and came to him when something that bothered them had happened and mother and father were to busy to console.

He had to admit that when it came to the neighboring girls he had fancied many of them in his young years the way boys did at those ages of 14, 16, and 18. Though he had never really loved one nor had he ever considered marriage an option he had just never felt ready and for whatever reason his fellow mates thought he had been married was a mystery to him. Amy had been his closest sister the most wild one and wayward but very bright and sweet she had died when a man had taken her at 15, she had died from the loss of blood she had not been ready for a trama like that. That man had been the first man he had ever killed and because of it had been sent away from the town for his crime even if justice for Amy's life had been carried out. After not finding a good job anywhere he had finally come to the coast and had joined a crew of pirates. He had picked up being a sailor with ease as if he had saltwater in his veins instead of blood. He had only been 20 when the kraken had taken his ship down leaving him among the five survivors. Hadras had been with him though now he couldn't remember the confused shell heads name after so many years but they were still the best of mates inseparable at times even with her around. But life on the Dutchman was also able to turn mates against mates, hence why there were so many feuds aboard.

They sat in silence some more as Clanker gently ran his hand over her forehead pushing her hair back and placing a soft timid kiss there on her smooth skin.

"Kate do ye want te tell me any o' yer hurts and pains?" he asked softly holding her gently but firmly. Her hair smelled sweet, like sunshine and wildflowers. Though the wildflowers he had no idea where they came from maybe the soap she used to wash it, all the same it smelled like her and he clung to that as if it where the air he breathed.

"Maybe I should jes' tell ya my life story?" she said trying to make light of her darkened mood.

"If it would make ya feel better I'm hear ta listen te ya," he offered gently brushing his lips on her temple.

"It would Clanker…it would make me feel much better," she whispered softly.

"I'm here fer ya I promise," he whispered into her ear.

She sighed shakily feeling another wave of tears seep into her eyes. She felt so comfortable and safe with him, she trusted him so deeply. She could safely say he held her life in his very hands because if he hurt her in anyway she would indeed die from a heartbreak that never mended.

"All I remember of my baby years is a shadow of my mother and mostly my sister. Then at three I was sent to my grandfather. He was wonderful, always smiling and full of love. So the spring I was to turn 10 he caught the plague… I couldn't do anything for him save sit by his side until one morning he didn't wake up," she said softly. "Gosh I miss him so much still it feels just like yesterday I woke up to his cold hand wrapped about mine," she said wiping tears away.

"Grief that's been covered up fer so long has a way o' doin tha'," he said sadly "I still cant fergive myself about what happened te Amy,"

"Yer a good man Clanker really none of us are perfect but to me yer as close as they come," she smiled weakly at him.

"Ye think so?" he asked uncertainly

"No Clanker I don't think so…" she said seriously she cupped his cheek in her hand making him look at her "I know so," she whispered softly.

He smiled placing a cool hand over the one she had on his cheek. "Ye really are something Kate…I don' know what but something wonderful."

She smiled tenderly resting back down against him. "So when I turned ten I left, packed a few things and left on the first ship to make port in our small village. Didn't know it was a pirate ship," she sighed "The Captain took me under his wing and taught me the ropes of being a cabin boy he knew I was a girl I hadn't tried to hide the fact that I was. I was too naive to know different and I hadn't put much thought into my leaving anyhow. But when I turned 11 and low and behold I had my first cycle I didn't know anything or what to do so I went to the only man I trusted."

"He did something bad didn' 'e?" Clanker asked noting her change of tone.

She nodded shakily "yes not only did he explain it to me but he demonstrated on me. And after that I was forced into slavery. When he got tired of me he auctioned me off, or if the ship I was on was attacked I was preserved and handed from man to man in a night."

He bristled angrily and held her close "I ain't gonna let that happen te ya anymore Kate I made a mistake once I won't let another girl suffer at the hands of cruel, sick, twisted men. Ye have my word I won't let it happen" he said into her hair.

She sighed softly bringing his hand up to gently rub against her cheek "Then when I was 16 I escaped…nearly died in the ocean if it weren't for an EITC company ship that picked me up."

"Nothin bad happened after that did it?" he asked carefully.

She snorted in an attempt to stifle a harsh laugh "Bad? If you could call it that," she muttered suddenly bitter. "There was this young man aboard that nursed me back to health and he became my closest companion through my recovery. He became everything I ever wanted and so to meet his standards of living I pretended to be somethin' I was never intended to be…"

"And what was that?" Clanker asked curiously.

"A lady of upstanding charms and elegance," she replied evenly.

He looked humored slightly a small smile cracking his lips "He was a fool te try that with you"

She rolled her eyes and smiled and then sobered "It seemed to have been love he talked to me none stop was never anywhere to far from me by his desire…he even asked me to marry him. I don't know what happened but one night he came to me saying I was being unfaithful in my vows of engagement. I told him I was innocent of his convictions and he didn't believe me. In the end he forced me into giving him what every other man took, then he branded me with the mark of a pirate and tossed me back into the ocean from where I came to him…" she sighed "I used to think I had done something wrong to anger him so…but it wasn't me it was him."

Clanker sighed holding her close as a fresh wave of tears flooded over her. He rocked her softly whispering gently to her in his soft firm voice that he would let no harm come to her again no matter the cost to him. He promised to love her for forever and protect her. He couldn't stress how much he promised to protect her from the harshness of the world around their comfortable little speck of hope. Eventually she fell asleep the exhaustion catching up to her…and to him. They slept there in each other's arms comfortably swaying with the movement of the ship and a reassurance of the others faithfulness and love.


	10. Chapter 10: Intrigue and Loathing

_Chapter Ten Intrigue and Loathing_

If the same could be said for the new occupant in the captains cabin things might have been in a brighter setting. Unlike the gloomy, foreboding gray sky outside that hung in the air of the cabin where Kate and Clanker slept was more like sunshine and wildflowers in their sweet embrace. But for Cerulean it was pain…pulsing pain in her head that awoke her to find herself tucked securely in heavy blankets. Much more than she had fallen asleep with and unknown to her at one point a rough oversized coat now removed and replaced on the owners own shoulders who had taken a seat in the darkest corner with a sour expression on his face as he watched the woman sleep, as troubled things ran through his mind as he glanced over at the drying chemise and other clothing items she had been wearing. The thought of a woman in his cabin…in his bed with nothing on save an over sized pair of trousers and a large slightly transparent shirt was tempting. But he had willed himself into a resigned stupor as he slept leaving the woman alone. Innocence was bliss let her have that at least sometime longer.

At the 5th bell of the morning Cerulean sat up her hand on her forehead as she squinted to see things clearly, the room was empty of anyone else it seemed to her. She took in the room thinking it still part of a dream the candles with their long wax drippings on candle stands mixed in with sea life gave it a very dream like appearance and then the steam from the moisture in the hot air only added to the affect. She groaned rubbing her face and neck, which had become stiff in the night after hours of floating in the sea.

"Is this a dream?" she asked herself thinking that any previous occupants of the cabin had been long gone.

She heard a chuckle issue from somewhere inside the cabin causing her to look about for the source "So the lil mouse ken talk eh? Finally awoken too I see," he mused with a trace of malice and then to disdain.

"There are no such things as dreams on the Dutchman, their nothing but hollow and ash," he said his voice weighed down by knowledge of this fact "No dreams do not exist 'ere in time ye'll come te see my words are true" he said gruffly as her eyes found him…well the cool gleam of his eyes to be precise his bulk shadowed by the darkness.

"I thought as much" she said softly slipping out of the bed stiffly she stood there a moment moving her right arm it felt sore and tight, she must have slept on it wrong, and she assumed that and the mark binding her to the ship.

"Ye don talk much do ye," he observed his eyes not leaving her.

"I do talk when I have someone worth talking too," she said evenly "and since I don't there is no point in wasting meaningless words" she said wrapping the shirt about her so it didn't hang loose on her.

Jones remained silent for a few moment considering her words "aye tis not worth waistin life sustainin air if yer a mortal, yer not one anymore," he said gruffly standing up as she went over to her undergarments to see if they were dry, they weren't in fact it felt like they had been re-soaked.

She groaned wringing the drenched garments out and shaking them letting little droplets of water fall away from them. She would have to wait for them to dry it was very inconvenient to be without them. She sighed wearily sitting back down on the bed tightening her arms about herself more. She felt so small and so very vulnerable yet she had a sneaking suspicion she honestly had nothing to fear from him so long as she did not spark something within him to stoke his anger at her and therefore demand a punishment suitable to fit the crime.

Jones made his way to his desk in the corner to a secret smirk on his face; he knew her undergarments were soaked beyond what they should have been after a night of drying. But he had a thing for making the new recruits lives less comfortable and convenient, she would have been smarter to leave them on and take what discomforts that would allow. He had re-soaked them with every intent of her going around edgy and uncomfortable. He rustled through his pile of yellow stained charts that he had no use for and pieces of bare parchments scattered over the top when he had a composing urge with his music notes to attempt and place on paper.

He wasn't looking for anything or doing anything really, it was merely something to do that entailed he was in the room with her and half watching her instead of sitting and staring blatantly obvious at her, or not being in the room entirely which meant he would not see her discomforts.

"So tell me Miss Gibson," he said casually turning to face her seemingly not noticing her light flinch at his sudden conversing. "What skills do ye think would benefit my ship?" he said giving a light pop of his lips with the 'p'.

She looked up from her lap her eyes and face vacant of any emotion or thought. "I can draw…my fingers are small. Aside from that sir I'll have to be instructed on how to do a job you give me."

"Inexperienced I see," he mused with a annoyed grunt "that won't last fer long" he said rubbing his chin.

"Obviously" she muttered looking at him miffed. "I'm not entirely inexperienced, I just don't know how to do a sailors work."

"That is quite apparent makin ye inexperienced in this worl' o' men tis dangerous territory ye've put yerself in. Yer innocence is bliss until ye put it inte the balance ye have." He said seriously. "Ye know these men even myself would take any chance te take a shot at ya. An because o' that knowledge I have o' this fact ye ain't leavin my sight unless yer secured in this cabin." He raised his hand to cut off a protest from her "that an' I don' want ye associatin wit yer whore o' a sister she aint fit te be in yer company if ye want te change tha' yer welcome te work fer a few moments wit' 'er but otherwise ye will not be setin' eyes on her."

She looked at him hurt and too stunned to even speak a word of protest, her mouth hung open in an attempt to utter words but she couldn't and to make matters worse tears welled up in her eyes. But there was nothing she could do to sway his decision that was plain to see, the look in his eyes told her the matter was settled and that she would reap consequences of great magnitude should she protest.

She muttered a soft 'yes sir' and remained silent. He nodded feeling pleased she knew her place and did not protest to his rules and boundaries he was setting. She needed to be kept under a tight lock if her docile nature and obedience was to be kept; she wouldn't receive liberties that her sister or the rest of the crew had. She would remain by his side or locked in the cabin with tasks to do. He would also educate her in some of his knowledge he liked someone that if asked a question they could answer it, she would be his form of entertainment or stress release if the organ would not suite his needs. Though not a hand did he desire to lay on her, her innocence was what intrigued him most about her, and yet it agitated him to no end. Her innocence was bliss to him and yet he loathed and hated it women were not innocent, kind or gentle. Oh no not in the least the were harsh and cruel creatures who taunted you with dreams and promises of something glorious and wonderful taking advantage of you and then smashing it all to bits in a lie before your face with no remorse.

He knew he shouldn't blame her for what had happened with Calypso but she had an air to her…that lady like air of grace and beauty though proper grace and beauty it was and not harsh, unpredictable grace and beauty. But it was all together the same and for that he loathed her and yet was intrigued by her. She would be fun to toy with he could already see the promise of indignant justification in her eyes should something he be nitpicky about present itself.

Later that day he provided her with a pile of tangled nets for her to work on, once he knew she was to work he left her securely locked from the outside in the cabin to tend to his own duties he would not set foot in the cabin till after dusk the loathing of her was more prominent than the intrigue and he desired not to be around her.

Once he was gone Sur'ri let the pent up tears of frustration fall, what had she done to deserve such treatment from him? She had yet to protest his orders or wishes and yet she was still prohibited to even see her sister. She cried until her tears soaked the front of her large shirt but in reality it wasn't even really hers, but just his. Everything was his now even her and all her hopes, dreams, and desires. He had everything about her and he kept it all locked away from her she already knew that the second he set foot into the cabin with her. Her fate was to stay on a leash so tight she was even a foot away from the person who held it. And the person she was bound to this time was someone that she feared…but more than anything was a person who had intrigued her since she was the age of 14 when she had heard her first tale about him.

Oh how she had lived and breathed off of everything she could learn…and now she was his in a way she never wanted to begin with. Who knew what compromising situations she would find herself in…and what could she do? Nothing at all he was triple if not four times her size and strength. She hoped it wouldn't come to something like that the thought frightened her, and he had admitted that it was tempting but he had also said that the crew would be worse than if she was with him. Surely he meant to protect her from such horrors? But he hated women why would he want to protect her, a lady of all people to choose. She was nothing in this new world she knew not how to survive…she was as good as dead. Dead, cold and alone for 100 years.


	11. Chapter 11: Purpose

Chapter Eleven Purpose

We all long for a purpose to our life…our life means nothing without one. Our lives are nothing but an empty; useless existence if we are without purpose to live by. A purpose comes to each person differently and in many different ways, everyone has a planned purpose but most of the time we chose our own purpose instead of letting our pre-planned paths set us to them accordingly. And there are some who never have a purpose at all and their life is a meaningless existence once they leave the world of which we live, it is the truly purposeful people that are remembered for many years. Their names written in books, carved in stone, or placed upon a monument testifying to their accomplishments that came from their purpose.

Cerulean had always longed for a purpose of her own, for years she had dreamed of having her own reason to live and have an impact on someone. So that she would not die forgotten, she would truly be discouraged should that ever happen. Never giving something to someone that would treasure it...never being treasured by a man that would love her, but love was not her first desire to find a purpose in. No she wanted to work and be useful to her Captain now, but how? How could she be of use to him she hardly could give herself credit for anything of accomplishment in her years of being locked up tightly. She wasn't skilled in anything really in her opinion, yes she was educated and loved to read and draw. She was exceptional at playing a harp but who wanted that? Her fingers where graceful and quick would that be something like an asset to her? Possibly maybe the Captain could find something for her.

And speak of the devil...the ever growing familiar scrape...thunk...scrape of the crab leg along the deck. It was coming to the cabin down the hallway that led up onto the deck and the sunlight and bustle of the ship. She looked up from a large book of old charts and maps as he came in. He looked at her for a moment sitting at the end of the table in the middle of the room, the book opened wide to her curious green eyes. He sighed heavily a puff of air escaping his siphone that now served as his nose, it appeared the hardened leather and water stained pages had captured her into them. Maybe this could be used to both their advantage for in the past month she had been there he had been trying to find a constant benificial task for her to carryout daily. Tiresome though it was giving her different things to do his cabin was looking ship-shape after so many decades atleast she was useful. But now there was things that no longer needed it and she was becoming more idle aside from absorbing his books when he didn't have something for her to do.

She stood up straight when he walked in watching him expectantly incase he was in a unpredictable mood. He gave a grunt as he walked past her to continue as she was before sitting down at his desk to study his charts. Thirty minutes passed between them in silence before the bell chimed indicating the half hour of the 6th hour of the day.

"The Cook and his mates will be bring'n supper soon...best ye put yer book away" he said without looking up from his work.

She stood up hearing his instructions "yes sir" she said softly closing the book carefully as leather crumbled from the binding. It was so sad to see these creations falling into dust and ruin. She sighed placing it back where she had gotten it from beside the desk. The ship gave an irregular jolt causing her to loose balance slightly setting her hand on the desk to support herself. In result both of them quickly removed their hands from the location as if they had each been shocked by the others touch. She muttered an apology but it was cut off as there was a commotion outside the door as the sentry stepped in to let the Cook and helpers in with the dinner.

Cerulean excused herself momentarily to go into the coach to tidy up for dinner, it gave her a few moments to herself before dining with the Captain. Sometimes they talked about things of little significance but hardly at all he seemed to like eating in peace then with a woman that seemed to not enjoy talking much herself. She did like talking actaully when given the chance and if she was comfortable with whom she was speaking with but he never cared to listen nor did she feel comfortable in his precence and most of dinner was generally spent in silence.

But tonight was different, quite different actually it turned out and very profitable. While they were in the middle of eating sea bass finely cooked in spices plundered from trading merchants the Captain spoke, after watching her for the past twenty minutes or so.

"So tell me Miss Gibson," his scotish accent was less than noticable tonight he wasnt uptight which seemed promising. "What are yer skills that you have perfected?" he asked curiously.

She looked up at him for a moment finishing her bite before speaking. "Well I'm not sure I'm perfected in any skill-" he gave her an aggrivated look he didn't like how modest she was most of the time...well atleast in this moment he just wanted to know what skills she was good at. "But I am practiced in music, reading, writing, mathematics is one I believe I am quite experienced in, and I am fairly good in drawing." She explained pausing now and then to think on her answer.

When she said mathematics his head perked up a little and drawing got his attention more firmly. "What sort of drawings?"

"Well I liked drawing the port that I could see from my window, the shoreline, and the horizon. I copied maps and illistrations from books to better enhance my skill. But I cannot draw people I do very poorly in my attempts" she replied. She was more than thrilled to speak with him about her skills and intrests he hardly ever spoke to her at meals they were always dreadful silent, but she liked him listening it made her feel more comfortable and at ease around him.

"Maps? You'll have to show me so I might be able to see for myself," he said thoughtfully the wheels in his mind turning. Cerulean noticed that his eyes turned a softer shade of blue when he was in thought...they were very enticing to watch but she refrained.

"I would more than gladly draw for you simply place in front of me what you want drawn and I will draw it to perfection...hopefully" she added weakly.

He nodded pleased a very faint hint of a smile on his lips, he seemed pleased with the plan he was configuring in his mind maybe he'd finally have some new charts instead of ones falling apart and out of date. "Tomorrow then that will be your task, I will provide you with the needed supplies and show where to retrieve them from and place them back when your through. "If I am pleased with your work then I will appoint you to perform and learn what your duties shall intail, but we will cross that bridge when we arrive at it" he said taking a sip of his wine. The rainwater seemed to have put him fairly good spirits and to add to it that he had begun to uncover this womans potential.

The remainder of the meal was spent in silence any possible rifts between the two not present or yet to be considered. Eventually there would come a time that their temperments would clash and an arguement would arise but as some sailors would say 'the calm before the storm'. Cerulean herself was pleased that she had something to offer and that she had a chance to prove she was more than just a woman with a fair face and delicate hands. Behind her face was a brain...a brain that held endless hopes, desires, and intelligance, there was a whole world to be discovered behind her face and it was waiting to be dipped into and used. Her hands where more than just delicate limbs, the held the potiential of doing things...the possibilities where endless she'd never be able to use them to their fullest potientail in her life.

--

In a far differing location of the ship than the captains cabin Kate had managed to slip away from the usual commotion and rowdiness of the crews evening festivities. Whether it was the evening rations being passed out and consuemed or the endless games of dice and other forms of gambling years away, Kate had no desire tonight to participate with them. The bowsprits was the perfect peaceful place she could find that allowed her to be alone. She sat back against the ship enjoying the wind and sea spray as she played her fingers over a smooth carved pipe. Her grandfather had personally made it himself when she was not but 5 yet. Oh how she remembered the day he presented to her this finely crafted Y shaped pipe laid in a box of cherry wood that was embelished with vines and flowers on the lid and sides. The box was now locked away in her sea chest the smooth pipe resting in her hands presently as songs from days long gone played through her mind. She hardly ever played anymore if she did it was a few notes before she grew discouraged and locked it away again.

"Ah there ye are" came the familiar and gentle voice of Clanker from above her before he made the small decent to where she sat. The voice had become something she loved hearing in the silence or any other time, it was soothing and calmed her when troubled, and when she was happy it made her smile.

"Yes I am here" she replied smiling to him as he settled beside her and wrapped his arm over her shoulder pulling her into him so he could press a gentle kiss to her temple.

"And tell me then my lil spitfire...why does the solitary bowsprits intrige ye more than the company o' yer mates?" he asked tucking a strand of her hair behind her perfectly sculpted ear. He marvled silently to himself how the moonlight made her look like a masterpiece set aside in a gallery to be admired by all. How had he become so fortunate to win her feelings?

She sighed thoughtfully silent for a moment looking at the quarter moon. "Because my mind and heart feel heavy and the peace and quiet of silence laced with the music of the sea appealed to me more than the loud noise of my mates" she replied "that and I didnt feel like dealing with some of the remarks." she added continueing to caress her pipe

Clanker nodded understandingly watching her fingers on the pipe and then rested his head back against the wall to watch the sky. Kate smiled beside him and looked at him for a moment, she could see that beneath the barnacles and the disformity of the curse his features where strong and bold...but still a trace of being a young man, he wasn't as old as the curse made him appear to be, he couldn't be much older than herself.

"So tell me my love why did you decide that the silence of night was more appealing than the activities in the hold?" she asked smiling.

He was silent as if thinking long and hard scrunching his face and scratching his head and then smiled looking at her seriously "Nay it was not the silence of night that drew me here" he said "but ye. My melted heart only desires to be where only ye are, and that jes so happens te be out 'ere on the silent bowsprits accompanied by only the light of the moon and the music of the sea." He said leaning in to lightly kiss her soft rosy lips.

She smiled returning his kiss softly "my my you could write a ballad with words like that...so beautiful and richly spoken," she murmered as he wrapped her fully in his arms burying his face into her hair.

"No amount of fancy words will ever be able te properly tell ye how i feel my sweet," he said into her red waves.

She inhaled deeply having buried her own nose into his shoulder "nor I you my love...no words can only begin to attempt at scratching the surface of such a profound emotion."

After five minutes or so of simply embracing one another Clanker pulled away looking down at her lap where the pipe still lay gleaming in the moonlight. He had never heard her play and he wished to very much.

"I assume ye play?" he asked indicating the pipe she held.

She nodded looking down "Uh yes...or more I did play...my grandfather taught me when I was very young. I haven't played a song since I was young" she said thoughtfully "I can never get myself to continue anymore" she sighed "my heart doesnt seem to be ready for music...but its starting to feel a little more open to it."

"Would ye play a song fer me?" he asked softly and hopefully "I want te hear ye make yer own music"

She looked at him and down at her pipe her smile reappearing on her face and she nodded "you do not need to ask it of me twice i will do whatever you ask of me" she said kissing his cheek before placing the pipe to her lips and placing her fingers accordingly.

She recalled the notes to her mind, one her grandfather had played many evenings in her childhood, then she let her breathe flow into the pipe. The sound was sweet and low and yet it was high. It lifted the very soul away from the body and into the sky as it portrayed pictures and words of its own. The music had its own voice...no the pipe had its own voice and was using Kate's to sing. Clanker closed his eyes letting himself completly submerse in the sound, he could see the music, he could feel it, it was beautiful. Sweet minutes passed before she let the song slip into the pipe and back into its silent slumber. When she set the pipe back down in her lap he looked at her.

"That was beautiful" he said softly.

She blushed softly shaking her head "Its been a very long time since I have played...it wasnt as my grandfather played. He was a master of this intrument I hardly compare" she said.

"Te me yer music is the sweetest sound on this earth," he said gathering her back into his arms. "Its all I'll ever need."


	12. Chapter 12: No Need To Say Goodbye

_The Call by Regina Spektor and the hymn are not mine but the people who wrote them_

_--_

_Chapter Twelve No Need To Say Goodbye_

There's times in our lives that seem to replay themselves. Not literally in actual time but in our hearts and memories, the times that matter most to us, they live on over and over again. They like to slip in and replay at some of the most heartbreaking moments or they can replay at the best of times. But whether or not we want them they come without fail.

For Kate they came when she was sitting in thought mostly, the good memories came when she was in an optimistic, fond recalling temperment. And then the not so good ones came when she was in dispair and heartbreak, and most of those memories only made the moment worse.

At this particular moment Kate was tending to a pile of knotted fishnets, mindlessly unknotting them as she let her thoughts wander freely away from the confines of the ship she and her sister where now entrapped on. Though in some ways Kate could hardly complain she was loved and protected by a man that fulfilled every dream she had dreamt since she was held closely in her grandfathers arms.

Now you have heard mention of her grandfather before but we hardly know much about this kindly man that Kate desired to find in someone else to take his place since his death. Well memories are good for this she thinks about him daily and hardly does she think of something that I miss thinking about also. It goes back about 18 years or so when our redhead spitfire was but a lass of three years of age. The age when little girls skip about, little curls glistening in the sun like young sparks of flame. tThe age when little girls cherish the fathers in their lives, and Kate's grandfather was that to her, the man she cherished most in her young life. He played the role of mother, father, and grandfather. As a mother he taught her about proper manners of young ladies, to cook, clean, sew, and play an instrument. As a father he taughter her how to cultivate the land, how to read, write, and do her numbers, as well as take care of the small amount of animals that they owned. And as a grandfather her taught her stories of myth, folklore, and love.

_Eighteen Years Ago_

_Now the proper setting of this little abode she grew in is quite a pretty picture, close your eyes and imagine if you can paint these words into pictures once you read them._

_At the base of a cliff and at the beginning of an expansive, green grassy glen sat a comely cottage with a straw thatched roof and firm beams of alder. The chimney made of stone had a curl of smoke traveling lazily up to the golden sky of an Irish sunset, a stunning sight to any man, woman or child. And set before this fireplace an old wooden pipe in his hand sat a later middle aged man in a rocking chair. He wore homespun clothing of a farmer and fisherman, having earned his way in life from both land and sea. He had faded brown hair atop his defined head, and a peppery short beard of gray and brown. His eyes were a deep, rich brown with a continuous kindly expression to them, put aside if he wasn't angered by some form of injustice or another wrong doing. He was of an old age for the village he lived in not many lived past 35 because of the plague that swept through, being 43 made him older than the village elder. Orin Gibson was a man respected by the villagers, they looked to him for his wisdom and guidance. _

_He sat there his eyes closed slightly as he relaxed his hands sliding over the wood of his crafted pipe. He murmured something under his breathe like a prayer, though he whispered it was as if he was singing with that soft yet deep voice that hushed angered men and soothed a crying child._

_O Father, hear me as I pray to Thee,  
I know that I am far from purity;  
But Jesus died that sinful men might live,  
So in His Name I ask Thee to forgive._

_Father, Father,  
Humbly now I come to Thee;  
Father, Father,  
Hear, oh hear my humble plea._

_I pray that Thou wilt pardon ev'ry sin;  
O Lord, forgive and make me pure within.  
Plant a desire for service in my heart  
And give me strength to always do my part._

_He stopped hearing the soft breathing of the new arrival in his home; it was his three-year-old grand-daughter. She stood there in her big button up shirt of his, her thumb in her mouth with a felt rabbit tucked in her little arm. She looked at him with wide emerald eyes, her red curls gone astray from tossing in her bed. He smiled kindly and opened his arms to her, which she gladly trotted over and climbed into his lap and snuggled in. _

"_What are you doin' up Katelyn?" he asked curiously brushing the wild curls from the child's face._

"_No sleepy," she said taking her thumb out of her mouth and shrugging her shoulders her eyes wide and full of wakefulness. _

"_Well now how can you not be sleepy after that boat ride here?" he asked in surprise. _

_She shrugged and shook her head "I don' 'no grampa" _

"_Ya don't?! Hmmm well now it seems we have a serious problem young lady," he said with mock sternness._

"_We do?" she asked her eyes going wider._

"_Yes you need yer sleep and so do I in order to work tomorrah," he said with a yawn. "And you need to sleep so you can play and grow up," he said chucking her chin gently._

_She giggled resting her head on his shoulder. The little girl was quiet for sometime so he remained silent hoping she might drift to sleep. He sighed looking down at her no such luck in his hopes of sleep finding the young girl asleep she was still wide eyed as any kitten wanting to play with a ball of yarn._

"_Katelyn you need ta go to sleep," he said with a heavy sigh._

"_Bu' I cant grampa my eyes wont stay closed" she said holding her eyes wide her hands resting on his shoulders._

"_They wont? Well what do ya reckon will keep 'em closed?" _

"_Sing grampa thing!" she said bouncing excitedly her 'S' turning into soft 'th' because her tongue missed her two little teeth in her excitement._

_He laughed bowing his head back a truly jubilant laugh that filled the room with mirth. "Alrigh' then," he said standing up and walking into the room he had put together for her. He set her down on the bed and went to a shelf picking up a little box._

_He walked over to her bed and knelt down holding the box out to her. She looked at him hesitantly her purple-rimmed eyes cautious. He gave her a reassuring nod and she gingerly took the box and opened it. The box held a small humble crafted music box which filled the bedroom with the sweet innocent tricklings of music that make dreams come to life._

_She looked at him her mouth gaping in a speechless smile. "I'th pretty grampa," she said after trying to form words off the tip of her rosey tongue her emerald eyes glittering with wonder and awe, and at something so simply as a brass music box made of wood._

"_Its your's angel," he said with a tender smile brushing her curls from her cheeks. _

"_Rweally?" _

"_On my word little one the music box is now yours," he promised._

_She smiled and puckered her little lips and kissed his feather soft bearded cheek wrapping her little arms about his neck. "tank you" she said softly. She then burst into giggles as he tickled her neck with his beard._

_The little tickle turned into a series of tickles as he found her little places that sent her squeeling. In a matter of a minute she was red in the face and exhausted, when he sat back to look at her he grinned. He saw a yawn and she rubbed her eyes._

"_Get in them covers Katie," he said pulling back the soft woolen blankets on the straw mattress. _

_She did as told scrambling for the pillow, she shifted and turned for a little bit until she was comfortable her eyes almost closed. He leaned down and kissed her cheek lovingly as her eyes slipped closed. "Good night angel" he whispered before turning to the music box and twisting it. He set it down on a little table with a small candle and turned to leave the little voice from the bed spoke up pleadingly_

_"grampa sing for me please" she pleaded looking at him innoncently._

_He smiled this little girl had a thing for music a rare gift in children her age. 'She's jes like her mum' he thought as he nodded and came to sit down next to her. "alrigh' lil one" he said clearing his throat._

_"It started out as a feeling_

_Which then grew into a hope_

_Which then turned into a quiet thought_

_Which then turned into a quiet word_

_And then that word grew louder and louder_

_'Til it was a battle cry_

_I'll come back_

_When you call me_

_No need to say goodbye_

_Just because everything's changing_

_Doesn't mean it's never_

_Been this way before_

_All you can do is try to know_

_Who your friends are_

_As you head off to the war_

_Pick a star on the dark horizon_

_And follow the light_

_You'll come back_

_When it's over_

_No need to say good bye"_

_He looked down at her as the music box played her little eyes dropping finally after such a busy day. She truly was a little blessing, and she looked so much like her mother. He prayed Caitlin wouldn't fall to harm with that man she was married too. That Count from a devilish line had swept in like a knight in shining armour and had taken his little girl at only 16 and woed her into loving him. He had tried to persuade her but Caitlin was the romantic type that held onto love tightly she couldn't tell him no then, and now she was sending this precious child to him for safty from such a man. He sighed and went back to singing._

_"Now we're back to the beginning  
It's just a feeling and now one knows yet  
But just because they can't feel it too  
Doesn't mean that you have to forget_

Let your memories grow stronger ans stronger  
'Til they're before your eyes

You'll come back  
When it's over  
No need to say good bye"

_When he finished she was asleep, her eyes closed and the lamb tucked next to her tightly as the moon shown through the window onto her little angelic face. "How could someone wish harm on such a sweet innocent child?" he mused kissing her forehead lightly before walking out of the room and returned back to his rocking chair watching the dwindling fire lighting his pipe and putting it to his lips thoughtfully._

Kate sighed heavily hearing yelling as the men struggled with the cannons bellow, she wiped her face finding tears slipping down her cheeks as she set to work again humming softly and singing under her breath.

_"It started out as a feeling_

_Which then grew into a hope_

_Which then turned into a quiet thought_

_Which then turned into a quiet word_

_And then that word grew louder and louder_

_'Til it was a battle cry_

_I'll come back_

_When you call me_

_No need to say goodbye_

_Just because everything's changing_

_Doesn't mean it's never_

_Been this way before_

_All you can do is try to know_

_Who your friends are_

_As you head off to the war_

_Pick a star on the dark horizon_

_And follow the light_

_You'll come back_

_When it's over_

_No need to say good bye"_

_--_

Well this chapter is a background basically into someone very important in kates past. Just a glimpse i may do more flash backs between kate and cerulean when the plot line is being a little out the i guess. And since ive mentioned her grandfather alot and people where curious about him i thought id give a little insight to her beloved grandfather. He was very young when he got married and kates mom was born and in this clip he's 43 which isnt very old now but then it was because of the illness' so when he dies he's 49.

This song i thought was sweet when it came to them because when she wants him all she has to do is call him and a memory or a thought of him comes to her basically. And she has no need to say goodbye because when she eventually dies she will see him in heaven too.

The Call is not mine but the people who wrote it. I got it from Prince Caspians movie i love it


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